No Rest For The Wicked
by Toesz
Summary: Elizabet is an average and isolated university student until she recieves a missent letter from the Polish Feliks. On the same day, she meets the charming albino, Gilbert. She has no idea what she got into and what the two men's relationship is. Assassination AU
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi! Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, it belongs to the rightful owner! The characters belong to Himaruya Hidekaz**_

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Elizabet opened her eyes and a beam of fear flashed before her. She woke up to the light again and not to her alarm clock. _What was the time?_ She picked up her phone and checked it, then threw her not functioning clock at the other end of the room. She could have used her phone, but she never woke to its alarms.

It wasn't the first time in a short period that the red object didn't work. It hit the wall and broke to pieces. Whoops. But she was angry, so she had to take it out on something. And the broken object was the cause of her anger, it was a perfect for this purpose. Now, she needs to get a new one. She swiftly got dressed, but she didn't brushed her hair or had breakfast.

She picked up her books and bolted out of her apartment. She was in a hurry, her first period had already been started and she was still at home. She knew she wasn't going to make it, but she ran anyway. The crowd on the streets was terrible. She pushed everyone around to break a path and constantly apologized for it.

She arrived twenty minutes late from Biology class, and sneaked to the back of the classroom, panting heavily from hurrying. The professor didn't bat an eye, but she apologized yet again. Damn that stupid alarm! This had already been the second time on that week! Now she would have to ask someone for notes. She brushed away a curl of her brown hair and began to write. Her hands were still shaking and her heartbeat was fast. Well, this had an effect on her handwriting too. It was cramped and her pen punched through the thin paper of her notebook.

What a good way to start her day!

She had a free period in the early afternoon. It was a nice, sunny day of mid-automn, so she wanted to spend her time in the university's yard. She went to her favourite old, worn-out wooden bench and sat down, exhaling tiredly. It was her fourth semester but she just couldn't get used to the rush she always had been. She didn't even had the time for eating, however, this is what she got used to during months. She didn't intend it, but she had been losing weight all the time. She only needed a cup of coffee to get up mentally, which she couldn't get in the morning.

She turned on her laptop. This clever, grey machine held all of her informations and helped her being organised. She didn't trust smartphones too much, in fact, she didn't even own one. The small, old-fashioned ones were able to do what she wanted from a phone. Her computer quietly buzzed in her lap. She adjusted her green and white knitted helmet. Finally, her laptop turned on and she checked her mails. She always went through this, checking her inbox, pages she was interested in, her timetable, but she never expected anything new. It was just a rutine.

But this time, she got an e-mail which wasn't spam.

The adress wasn't familiar to her, so she opened it, frowning.

 _"Dear Toris,_

 _We are in a totally big trouble! you and I messed up everything. I'm sorry, but it seems you can't do anything about it. And the truth is, I don't want you to either. This is about us. Mostly. Yep, you're my best friend, but it ends now. This is goodbye. I'm sorry, I can't work with you like this anymore._

 _So, the thing is: I was okay with lots of things for a reeeeaaally long time now. But I'm out of patience. We are best friends, right? Partners in crime? I'm supposed to share things with you, and I do. Okay, not always, but still. But if you do expect this, I can expect it from you too! You are always anxious about the smallest things, but yet, you don't say a word about it! But I have my problems too and I don't you to be one._

 _This time, I messed with your boss. Yes, that scary Russian dick you are scared of. Well, you should be, btw. I happen to know how he treats you and the others (and hello, the source wasn't you, which is totally uncool) So I went and told him what I thought. Those things wasn't nice, tho... And he told me... things about you. Stuff I couldn't even imagine about my beloved friend. I almost got into a fight for you, he was even threatening with calling the cops. He punched me in the face, though. I am forbidden to go there anymore. There is a chance that you're gonna be fired soon..._

 _And the worst part: you didn't say a word about anything. Nothing about being violent with the costumers on a bad day nor about stealing small, but slightly valuable things from that place. Geez, if you need money, just tell me, don't go and nick ashtrays or anything. You worry about me, but you should be concerned about your life before mine. I want you to think about this. About your whole life, including our friendship. The basics, man. I'm gonna give you a little alone time, so you can fix everything and rethink your priorities..._

 _I hope you understand this..._

 _Best luck,_

 _Feliks"_

Wow. Her everyday English was a bit rusty due to the lack of use, but she understood this message perfectly. And well, this letter wasn't for her for sure! She didn't know who these two were, but this Toris must have been a shady guy. Her parents taught her manners and he needed to see this. So she clicked a few times and began to write an e-mail for Feliks.

" _Dear Feliks_

 _I am sorry, but I think you sent your letter to wrong adress. I am not your friend, Toris, but a girl (probably) far away from you. I am sorry for reading something personal, like your letter and I am not in position to give you advice either..._

 _But maybe you two should talk about this problem face-to-face, not online (see what was the result of it). If Toris is really misleading you, yeah, you should cut yourself away from him. But maybe you just misunderstood the Russian guy. Why don't ask Toris?_

 _I hope you two will be okay and sorry again for the interruption._

 _Best wishes_

 _Elizabet"_

She didn't want to dig in other people's life, certainly not in those's who she didn't know. She sent it and sighed. She hated people. And if these things were true, Toris didn't give him any reasons to think about mankind otherwise. Stealing? Really? Disgusting. Having these kind of secrets hidden from his bestie. _This_ is the main reason she didn't have friends. She was the antisocial, introverted and maybe strange girl at the back of the classroom and she was perfectly fine with that.

The oak tree besides her started shaking from the gently blowing wind. A few acorn fell on her, but she just stared up at the tree, observing its brownish leaves what was still on the branches. The beams of light shined through the leaks of the tree's verdure. She held out her hand and caught a green yield. She clenched her fist around it and threw it away then leaned back and closed her eyes.

She felt the bench crack under her as if someone had just sit next to her. She looked at her right to figure out who was it.

An unusual and intense ruby red gaze met hers. It's owner was flashing a bright and confident smile for her. The boy had a strange appereance. His ruffled silver locks and eyes acted like a magnet for her. She hadn't seen an albino yet, but he was different than she imagined one. Yes, the basics were right: very pale skin, hair and lack of pigments in the eyes too. But above these, he had interesting face and features. He didn't have acnes or moles. His skin was completely flawless and smooth like marble for a first glance. His eye-teeth were sharp, almost like a stray animal's.

"Can I help you?" She asked eventually. She didn't have the nerve for a lame guy using a lame pick-up line.

"Actually, I can help _you._ You were late from Biology in the morning, and I thought you might need some notes." He had some kind of weird accent. He was certainly not a Hungarian. He dug into his bag and pulled out a few paper. She put down her laptom from her lap on the bench and took them. This was a big luck for her. She didn't know a single soul from her class and had no idea about how to catch up.

"Thanks. It's a great help." She spoke in English. The albino looked surprised, but smiled. She packed away the generous gift and hoped that the albino would go away, but no, he was still sitting next to her when she looked back. He extended his hand for her to shake it.

"I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt." _Okay?_

She sighed and took his hand after a second of hesitation.

"Elizabet Héderváry. Nice to meet you." She was so going to regret this. She made a rule on not to get in touch with people. They just weren't interested in her.

"So, Liz, can I call you Liz? So, what course are you taking? I want to get a degree as a natural scientist." Somehow, he was interested in her.

"I plan to be a doctor. I'm not sure which branch yet." She tried to sound courteous, but she didn't have enough energy for him. He nodded, as if he approved her decision.

He combed his hair with his fingers. She noticed how open and confident position he was sitting in: he crossed his legs, his upper body was completely turned to her and his left arm was placed on the back of the bench, causing the feeling of being friendly.

He took an attempt look at her computer screen, but she shut it down. It was her private space. He backed off.

"Do you have anything else you'd like to say or...?" She raised an eyebrow and he laughed. He had a catchy and obnoxious laugh.

"Okay, I see. My awesomeness is too much for you now! But you'll gonna grow to love it! See ya around, Liz!" He jumped up and pranced away, whistling. She couldn't be more grateful for him taking this hint.

She watched him glowing in the distance. _Once you notice him, it's impossible to ignore his presence._ She thought. _It's extraordinary._ She picked his notebook and opened it. He had a nice, neat handwriting, while hers was all messy and rushed, almost illegible.

She looked at her watch. They took all of her free time. Awesome. Luckily, she still had time for a coffee and a modest breakfast.

xXXx

Elizabet was tired and fell into her otherwise uncomfortable bed. She was thankful that this day was finally over. This was how she felt everyday in her life. Waiting for the current day to be over, so she could sleep.

A thought invaded her mind and she glanced towards the opposite wall of her bedroom, hoping she was wrong. But no, the broken remains of her rusty clock was on the floor. She groaned with dissatisfaction. _I guess this is the typical 'no rest for the wicked' situation.'_

She had no idea.

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 **A/N**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter. It was still kind of a prologue, but the next will be the pov of Feliks, which has more action in it, hopefully.**

 **Anyway, if I did some grave mistake, please, let me now and I am open to every plot idea to help me, sooo review. :)**

 **I plan to update this weekly, but school maybe won't let me, so sorry!**


	2. Chapter 2

Feliks gripped his long, blond hair and sweared. The bluish light coming from the computer's screen lit his face. He was staring at the reply he had recieved to his letter to Toris.

"This is not cool! What a fool I am!" Who was this girl, anyways? How did it go wrong? Fortunately, his e-mail did not contain anything secret connected to their work. At least he didn't mess this up completely. But now he had to look for Toris and find out who this girl was.

First things first, he reluctantly and slightly curiously began to write his reply.

" _Lizzie,_

 _I'm so sorry that I wasted your time with my drama. I'm..."_ Should have he written his nationality? Or his full name? Should have he faked it? What if she was a spy? Okay, this wasn't a big possibility, but he had to consider this too. Does he have to take this risk? With rushing thoughts, he decided to stick to the truth. At least, it wouldn't have caused a big trouble to write his nationality. _"I'm from Poland, so yeah, maybe you're far away. Where do you live?_

 _You're right about Toris, by the way. I had better talk with him personally. Maybe it's better that you got this mail first, not him... I'll tell you what: this guy, he's a good man. But he can be a very, very big burden sometimes._

 _Thanks for the advice!  
Feliks"_

He sent it and thought: _And this is why we shouldn't trust people on the Internet._ He was amused. He sat back and grabbed his phone. He knew someone who could help him out. He dialed the number and a man answered it.

"Hey, von Bock, I have a special mission for you!" He picked up a pen from his desk and started to spin it with his fingers. It fell to the floor soon. He would pick it up later, maybe.

"What the hell is it this time, Łukasiewicz?" He asked impatiently. Feliks was grinning widely. Eduard seemed annoyed by the mere fact of the call.

"I have an email for you to track." He heard that Eduard von Bock didn't want to deal with his stuff right now, though this was his only job here.

"Why do you need me to track it? Go on, and learn how to do it by yourself." He sounded busy, but Feliks could not tell what was his more important thing to do. Maybe the courting to that coalition led by those fine northern businessmen...They would always reject him. But this was Eduard for you. He always wore smart clothes and was always aiming higher than he could actually get.

"I would, but, y'know, someone decleared this knowledge as his privilege and is not willing to give it away, so I have no other choice. About the mail: it was supposed to be sent to Toris, but it ended up in an unknown girl's inbox." Von Bock was typing furiously, he was either cracking up Feliks's account or complaining about him to his friends. Or both.

"You know, you are the biggest idiot who ever walked on Earth. How are you still alive?" Feliks concealed a victorious smile. Yet again, he got him to clean up his mess.

"Thanks, love you too" Eduard groaned angrily.

"Oh, just shut up already!" He hung up. Feliks giggled joyfully. He loved to annoy people with seemingly unimportant little jobs.

He heard light and rythmic footsteps behind him, which he knew perfectly, so he spinned around in his chair, although he almost fell out of it. When he finally found his balance again, he brushed away his hair from his face. His partner, Toris stood in the wide doorway, which made him amusingly smaller than he was. He had a slim figure in the black suit he was wearing. He tied his hair into a short ponytail. He was wearing sunglasses, nobody knew why.

"Hiya, Toris! Ya know, only douchebags and blind people wear sunglasses inside." He bet the other was rolling his eyes, which he couldn't see because of the glasses, but Toris took them off.

"Stop quoting that stupid TV show!" He walked up to Feliks and gave a light kiss on his cheek. "What happened to your eye?" He unconsciously touched the left side of his face. It hurt, but if this conversation went the way he imagined it, it would be more painful than a black eye. He felt incredibly bad for what was he about to say. His mouth went dry and his stomach shrank to the size of a needle's head. He was sweating and his limbs went numb and heavy. He swallowed before pushing Toris away.

"Hey, Toris? We need to talk" Toris nodded and closed the door behind him. He grabbed the other chair in the room and sat down, facing the Pole. He studied Feliks's gloomy expression. He seemed to read the seriousness of the situation from it, and understood that this must have been something bad.

Feliks hesitated to tell him everything on his mind, but he needed to. He wanted to get this done. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he looked straightly into Toris's, which were bloodshot and and he could barely held them open, probably from the lack of sleep. He wondered how he could handle his work, considering that they hadn't had jobs together for weeks, and he hadn't shared too much about himself lately.

"I've had a chat with Braginsky the other day..." Toris went pale. By the mention of his direct boss caused him a smaller panic attack. Feliks leaned closer and took his hands. "Hey, relax, okay?" He tried to comfort him.

He made sure he was alright, then went on. "I went to him to complain about how he treats you. But it did not went the way I imagined. He said you've been stealing things from offices, and told costumers to piss off, when you didn't want to do the jobs. I couldn't believe it, and things got so mad that he gave me this cute black eye and threatened me with the police. Me!" He chuckled lightly.

"But I don't understand this. How is that you steal, because you don't have money, but you refuse almost every job that comes by? And you don't say a word about these to me?" He looked at the Lithuanian, waiting for a satisfying answer.

Toris buried his face in his hands, covering his face. He muttered something, but Feliks couldn't make anything out of it. He furrowed his brows in slight frustration. After a while, he could hear a few faint words.

"I... I am no good... an assassin... without con-concentration... useless... f-forgive me... I-I didn't... I..." Feliks freed his face and cupped it with his hands. Every feature of Toris's face screamed hardships. It was true that his partner was an overthinker and had anxiety, but when needed, he was sharp and ruthless. And sassy. What broke him completely?

 _I wanted to talk with him about the end of our partnership in every possible way. But seeing him in such state... It could have caused so much trouble..._ "Listen, Toris. You tell me what's wrong and why didn't you tell until now, or we broke up. In every way we are tied. Understood?" He didn't want to be harsh, but he had to grab his attention.

He nodded briefly and pushed his hands away. "I messed up stuff..." _I figured this much._ "I had an opportunity to hunt down Agent Axe, but I let him slip away, plus ruined my original misson. My costumer and I were almost arrested. I didn't tell you, because I thought you would be as angry as everyone else here, if they figured... " He stopped to catch his breath. He stared down at his hands, as if the words were written on them.

"And starting with this, I lost my professional confidence. All I could think was that I would fail again, so I refused anything, but the easiest jobs. But this wasn't enough to make a living, so... I started stealing smaller and insignificant objects from all around the place... And somehow Mr Braginsky have figured it out. I had to beg for my job...He decreased my general income and the numbers of job I can accept until I get it together..."

When he finished, tears were streaming down his face. Feliks was startled and a bit angry, too. He could understand everyone's actions in the story, in certain degrees.

He supportively put a hand on the other's shoulder, who jumped a bit from it. "I may have a part of why you can't have many jobs because of my approache... Oh, and I am forbidden to go into his office... But you're still a goddamned fool. Why didn't you say that earlier? Yea, I'm angry about Axe, but it's past now. Oh, and out of curiousity... How is your money not enough for ya?" His voice was tame, but it bore a tone of scolding.

Toris attempted a weak smile, but it was humorless and forced. "Mainly cheap vodka." Feliks was surprised. Yes, sometimes it felt like he felt vodka around Toris, but he convinced himself that it was only his imagination. He couldn't feel the touch of alcohol in their kisses either.

"Since when?" He was taken totally off guard by this. His friend used to be one of the most abstinent people he had ever met. Feliks himself didn't considered this virtue as one of his. Toris looked thoughtful. "I say... around four months." He shook his head in disbelief. What on Earth was happening? He was glad he took Lizzie's advice. Four months and he hadn't noticed it...

"Now the why, please," he demanded. Toris chuckled lightly, wiping his face.

"So... typical of you, I must say. Feliks, you know why I been doing this. You just want me to say it out loud," he was right. He knew why Toris hadn't said anything. He was worried that he might caused too much trouble to Feliks or anybody else. His pride played a part too.

Suddenly, his phone rung and he almost jumped up from his seat. Had Eduard been this fast? He picked it up. "Hallo, Łukasiewicz speaking." He didn't have contracts in his phone, not even his partner's, because of the constant risk of being caught. He remembered two numbers: Toris's and Eduard's. The first's because he was the most important person and the second's because he needed his number so many times.

"Who's that?" Toris mouthed silently.

"This is Braginsky. You and Laurinaitis have a job. If he is stable enough." He didn't have the slightest tone of concern about Toris in his voice, but he had a strong Russian accent. It sounded more like sarcastic or hostile. He wanted to punch him in the face.

"You're no boss of me." He hissed. Their place had a strange system. Not everyone had a boss. There were about ten of them, and some of them were skilled enough to do jobs on their own, like Feliks, and others, who were not, like Toris. The unexperienced or unskill ones were underlings of a skilled assassin, who told them what they could accept. These 'students' usually worked with a permanent partner.

The answer was a cold laughter. "Maybe not, but I am his. And he get the jobs _I_ say so. Understood?" Feliks didn't say a thing, just bit his underlip. "This is what I thought you might say. So about the job: you'll have three targets that you have to put out of the way. I'm sending further informations about the mission via Raivis. He'll be there in a minute." He hung up. Raivis Galante was Eduard's half brother, and was only sixteen. This assassination organisation was now more or less a family business.

"We've got a job. I don't know much about it yet, but lil' Raivis's gonne be here in a minute." He stared into the thin air, thinking about that day. He and Toris both had a lot on their minds, so they stayed quiet. After a while, Toris approached him and pressed his lips to his. He eagerly responded to it, trying to slip the tip of his tongue into the other's mouth, but Toris pulled away. Feliks groaned disappointedly.

"Sorry dear, not now. I'm not really into the mood. If anything comes up with the job, let me know it." He nodded and watched him walk out of his office. He could see him shaking. The door closed with a bang and he turned to his computer. After a moment of hesitation, he wrote a quick letter to Lizzie.

 _"Lizzie,_

 _It's me, again. I just want to say that you were like, totally right about Toris. I tallked with him, and if I had broken contacts so suddenly, he might have killed himself, considering how bad state he was in (or probably is)._

 _But we talked it out and we're kinda okay now. So, thanks again:D_

 _Best wishes,_

 _Feliks"_

The conversation went better than he had imagined. He ran his fingers on his hurt left eye. It had been worth it. Now everything was fair and square between Toris and him, even though it hurt to see him this broken.

And maybe he can have a friend, who knows nothing about his work. It was a distant dream, but if Eduard found nothing dangerous about her, it can be possible.

In this moment, Raivis rushed in with a brown envelope in his hand. Feliks took it, but he said to him before he went out: "Knock next time kiddo, but thanks." The sulky expression sold Raivis. He didn't want to be treated like a child. Feliks smiled.

Now, he only has to go to Toris's place about the job, and he hoped he would find him in a good mood for something else.

He took his gun out of his desk's drawer and tucked it into the back of his trousers' edge. He picked up his old overcoat and locked his office.

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 **A/N:**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter:) Maybe this wasn't very well-written, so forgive me. School takes a lot out of me. I will improve my skills.**

 **Leave a review if you liked it!**


	3. Chapter 3

He was sitting next to her. Again. And he was singing in a false note. Elizabet was slightly annoyed by the presence of the cheerful albino.

"So, Gilbert, tell me: don't you have anything better to do? Like annoying someone else?" He seemed to consider this, definetely unseriously, then shook his head. They agreed to speak in English, because Gilbert's Hungarian was terrible.

"Why would I do that? They are boooriiing!" _Yeah, and I'm fun, sure._ She didn't say this out loud, but it was written all over her face. Gilbert threw his arms around her. "But you are interessant! Believe me!" She sighed. Gilbert always threw random German words in their conversations, because he was proud of his ancestry, so he considered himself as a Prussian, even though the country didn't exist anymore.

Such luck she had! She let one guy in her life and it turns out he is the peskiest person... At least he knew when to finish his senseless chatter. He was with her all last week. In addition, it turned out that they have several periods together.

It wasn't like she didn't like him, it was the opposite, she appreciated him very much. She was grateful that she had someone who would have talked to her. She didn't speak much. Her talent lay in listening, not in talking, which a lot of woman and girl lacked. At least she wasn't alone all the time. She had always been alone as a child. The other kids didn't like her, because she had been bossy and charismatic and she had said her honest, sometimes cruel, opinion.

She heard a clicking noise from her laptop. She happily saw that it was Feliks again. They had become friends during the week. She could feel that he was being mysterious, but she understood it. She didn't give private informations either. But she knew things about him. For example, he was Polish and he was goofy and he could cheer her up, but she could make out that he was a rather intelligent man. He was a waiter and Toris was a cook in the same restaurant, who was his... khm... partner, actually. This didn't bother her at all. They had met there, which she found quite romantic.

"Gil, would you let me read this?" Even though he was 25, he was childish. Sometimes it felt like she had to deal with an annoying 8 years old boy, not a theoritically mature grown-up. As another proof, he clicked his tongue to express his annoyance. She rolled her eyes.

"Why is he so freakin' important to you? You didn't even know him two weeks ago!"

"Why, I didn't know you either, and here we are, having the time of our life", as she pointed this out, he went into sulky silence. _One point here._

She opened her mail.

 _"Dear Lizzie,_

 _The last two days were totally crazy, so I'm sorry I haven't written anything._

 _Yesterday, there were a few important and special guests and their dinner's organization took loads of time of preparing. Toris was in charge of cooking this time and he did a wonderful job! Our client, who requested this thing, was very pleased with our work and Toris's boss was delighted, too, so he promoted him, and he doesn't need supervision in the kitchen anymore. I am so happy, Lizzie. As you have guessed it earlier, he's the worrying type, so he doesn't need to worry about this at least._

 _I am soooo tired! I was awake for a really long time, and I almost screwed up this dinner because of this, but never mind that. I was sleeping for ten hours, which is twice as much as I usually sleep!:D_

 _I hope you're okay, and didn't do anything stupid in my absence:D (i doubt it, you're 2 clever for it)_

 _That was my report, Captain, I'm waiting for yours *salutes*_

 _With love,_

 _Feliks_

She had no idea why he called her 'Captain', but he had finished his letters like this almost every time.

She smiled at the screen as she was writing the reply. Next to her, Gilbert went conspicuously quiet. She found his absolute silence disturbing. He didn't look alright when she glanced up to check on him. He looked as if he was about to cry.

"Hey, Gil, what's wrong?" She shut down the laptop and moved closer. He turned his head away.

He inhaled deeply and when he turned back, he was as bright as ever. "Nothing, I feel awesome. But I don't think I can be at Biochemistry. Would you lend me your notes later?" She slowly nodded.

"Sure thing."

He patted her shoulder, smiling. "Danke! Then bye for now! I'll get the notes when I can." With this, he sprang up, clapping his hands together and headed to the university's main building.

She should have gone after him, but the period was about to start and she was certain about one thing: Gilbert's studies were important for him, and they didn't know each other so well yet. She wasn't sure if she would have told him if something personal bothered her. Probably not. She thought Gilbert thought the same. She watched him vanish as he took a corner. People didn't stare at him, she wondered why.

xXXx

On her way to her apartment, Elizabet decided to check on Gilbert. She walked home with him once, and it turned out that his apartment was on her way home. When she arrived, she could hear loud metal music playing from behind his door. She didn't even tried to knock, she rather banged her fists on the wood. It wasn't working. How come it didn't bother the neighbours?

"Gil, I'm coming in!" she tried to call out to him, however, she doubted that he could hear anything. _Please Gil, have some clothes on._ She slowly opened the door and peeked in, then walked in. She closed it behind her.

Gilbert's apartment was surprisingly tidy. There wasn't a single clothe on the floor, even the pictures were as straightly alligned as possible. She felt ashamed about her room, which was usually a big mess. She saw a music system in the corner of the room. After a minute of studying its function, she turned it off. She appriciated the silence after the earsplitting noise. She guessed the others were used to it.

She was quite sure he wasn't at home. She grabbed a pen and paper to write a note when she heard a clicking noise behind her. It was a familiar sound of action movies. She spinned around to see a gun pointed at her.

She dropped her bag and threw her hands in the air. She couldn't believe the situation she was in. She was shaking with fear, but she wanted to talk herself out of trouble. "Whoa, easy!" she chuckled nervously. The man, who was holding the gun, stayed alarmed. He was tall, blond and muscular and he wore a plain, white shirt with a loosy tie and black trousers. His left arm was bandaged. She guessed he lived here too. She collected her courage to speak up again.

"I'm sorry for interruption... I came here to give Gilbert the Biochemistry notes." He didn't lower the weapon, just squinted.

"Yeah? I don't believe you. He doesn't attend any classes anywhere. Who are you, woman?" Now she really feared for her life. _What should I do? He's gonna shoot me!_

"I'm..." in this moment the front door opened and Gilbert entered.

"Hey, Luddi, Ich habe Mil..." He saw the scene and runned between them, dropping the paperbag full of goods. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Put the verdammt gun away, for Gott's sake!" He changed to English. "She's my friend, Liz!" Once she was hidden behind his broad back, she dropped her arms down and almost collapsed and cried in relief. When he put away his gun, Gil turned to Elizabet and grabbed her shoulders. "Are you alright, Liz?"

She wasn't able to say anything, so she nodded. He nodded back, squinting. He wanted to be sure about this. He escorted her to the sofa. Her heart was beating rapidly and loudly. It was almost as loud to her as the music a few minutes ago.

"Ludwig, you need to stop swinging guns at everyone. Not all of the people want to kill us!" _Kill them? What is he talking about?_ "You were one second away from firing, weren't you?" The taller man looked sulky. Gilbert chuckled. "You totally were! I can't believe you, man! We are supposed to _protect_ people, not to finish them off!" Afterwards he said something in German. She was utterly confused. She fruitlessly tried to figure this out.

"Wait a second, Gilbert!" He pointed at Elizabet. "She was the one who intruded without any warning! I have never seen this woman and she said nothing when she came in. What should I have done?" She hissed at this statement and found her voice. She was always keen on a good argument.

"Yeah, burglars turn off loud music, because they want to be heard. Suuure." Gilbert giggled and requested a high-five. She ignored him. She was too into this. "By the way, I banged on the door with both fists and shouted too, but no one answered. I thought Gil left the hifi on, so I turned it off, of course. I was about to write a note, when you pointed that gun at me. It was very rude, to be honest."

Ludwig looked a bit ashamed and maybe annoyed too. His cheeks slowly turned red. It was a hilarious scenario. The small girl made a muscular man ashamed. He tried to defend himself. "She was babbling about some notes for Biochemistry! You aren't a student, you're a cop!" She looked at her albino friend. A what? She was pretty sure he was a student at her academy... She studied Gilbert's expression. It screamed that he wasn't supposed to tell this in front of her. So it was true.

"You are so fucking stupid, Bruder!" He was clearly angry. Ludwig sighed.

Gil turned to Elizabet. "Come on, Liz, we're going!" She didn't move. "What are you waiting for?" He spread out his arms helplessly.

"Have you been lying?" Ludwig curiously looked at him too.

"What are you talking about, Liz? Of course not!" He was ways too surprised and desperate, she noticed. It gave him away immediately.

"You obviously have been, Gil." Gilbert looked at the other German, his expression exposed how betrayed he felt. She had Ludwig on her side too.

Elizabet was determined to get an answer. "I'm not going anywhere until you explain what's going on and why have you been lying to both of us." _At least for me._ She knew, however, that later he would tell this to his brother.

"Damn, this is your fault, Ludwig! If your tongue didn't slip, there wouldn't be any trouble." Were they always like this? Maybe they are typical siblings. She didn't have any, so she didn't know.

"Don't blame him. If you were honest with us, you wouldn't need to explain us anything." He massaged his temples.

"I will tell you everything you want to know, just get out of here!" She hesitated. In English, 'will' was not a sure thing. There was a chance of the action happening, but actually, it was 50-50%, unlike in Hungarian. There was only one tense to express future and it was only uncertain when they used 'might' or 'probably'.

"Okay," she was still suspicious. She turned back and made an attempt to wave goodbye to Ludwig. He ignored her. _Nice to meet you, too._ They hadn't even intruduced themselves, she realised.

She hadn't took her coat off inside, which was comfortably there, but in the chilly air she was slightly shivering. It began to darken.

She followed him for a while, but she quickly had enough of his attitude. She tried to stop him by standing in front of him, but he gently shoved her away of his way. She grabbed his arm. "Stop already!"

"Why?" He was annoyed, but halted.

"You're upset."

"And you're a girl. Why are we stating the obvious again?" She stared at him.

"I was almost shot. You've been lying to me." She poked his chest. "You've dragged me along but you've been ignoring me. I have every right to be upset. I don't have so much free time to waste it on dishonest men.

He sighed. "Think this over from my point of view. Yes, I've lied. But I lie to everyone. Not because I love it, but because I want to keep them safe." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Keep them safe from what exactly?" Gilbert looked right into her eyes.

"From myself and the trouble!" She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled a little condescendingly. "You don't believe me." he sounded hurt. "Why, I'm telling you the truth!"

"But Gil, every liar who wants to keep his relationship says this, but that's just another lie. They want to keep touch, but they don't have a proper reason for lying. It's this simple. And one thing I learnt from the Pirates of the Caribbean is that you can be certain that a liar will always tell you a lie."

"What the hell, Liz, I know that movie too, but it's fiction and there are exceptions for every rule. This is real life, not a fantasy!" He snapped his fingers. "Oh, you remember when Ludwig said I was a cop? Do you think he lied about that?"

She shook her head again. Why would have he? In addition, he had felt cornered and Gilbert had looked angry, too. He had been honest. "Yes, he was right. Partly, at least. I didn't want you to know... some things about me, because they would only cause danger for you. But now too many people know things, including the two of you, so it can't be a secret now. The best I can do is to tell you everything, as promised. But you need to understand that a few minutes were necessary for me to get myself together and calm down.." He added sarcastically: "So I'm sorry I didn't pay attention."

"Okay, okay. I get it. Where are we going? I ask it differently: do we have a definite destination?" He began to walk again, his hands in his pockets. It was so cold that their breaths could be seen.

"We're going to some quiet place." She opened her mouth to say how stupid destination this was. "Don't say anything. I know." There wasn't an absolutely quiet place in the heart of Budapest at Friday evenings. Not even during the early hours. Thousands of students or workers visited taverns, pubs and other facilities to have fun after an exhausting week. She stayed quiet.

Soon Gilbert stopped in a somehow quiet street. He sat down to a bench and patted it next to him, inviting Elizabet to sit there. She reluctantly sat at the other end of it.

"Are you calm now?" She asked crispily. Gil released a half smile.

"Yeah, you could say. I'm so awesome for cooling down this quickly!" She rolled her eyes. He liked to talk about his awesomeness. She wondered if his personality, including this trait, had been a lie, too. "So, watchu wanna hear about?" She cringed at his English. Not that hers was flawless, but it was better. His brother spoke it almost perfectly, yet Gilbert, not considering his accent, almost violated the language sometimes.

"Everything. But as a beginning, I'd like to know what do you do for living, exactly." He nodded and tried to compose an appropriate answer. _If he lies one more time, I swear..._ She didn't think of a definite punishment, but she would have made his life hell if he had lied again.

"I'm a Federal Agent, you could say. I am part of a rather secret association that tracks down and capture mass murderers or more likely professional mass murderers: assassins. Even if they lie low in a small office, we know the most famous ones. My little brother, Ludwig is my partner," she would never has guessed that Ludwig was the younger by appereance.

"And why should I believe this? Being a cop is one thing, but hunting assassins... Not very believable, if you ask me," He sighed.

"You trust hard, don't you?" She hardened her heart through the years to not to let anyone in too early, because they would eventually abandon her. And he didn't help her to do the opposite.

"With a guy like you, it's hard not to. But it would have been nice to know these things at the beginning."

"Liz, I am wanted amongst my enemies, which is awesome as long as they can't catch me." He whispered. "Same goes for my brother. I'm pretty sure they know where I am, at least as much as I know the areas they have been. I'm certain that they have spies on me, like I do. They might know we know each other. They might have already researched you. The danger for all of us increased greatly by the meeting of you two. They watch Ludwig and me. It wasn't very important that I hang out with a girl once a day, especially that she seems to be pissed off about me." She frowned.

"But they might know that you were at our place and have met Ludwig too. They might think that you know the truth after encountering with my Bruder. This is why I didn't want you to know about my life at all. I didn't want you to be in danger."

She sat in silence for a while, trying to take the story in. This was unexpected for her, sure, but at the same time, unbelievable.

"Okay. Can you prove it with something?" He rubbed his eyes. He zipped down his puffy jacket and showed her his gun. Then carefully he took out an ID card and showed it to her too. It was his. Gilbert Beilschmidt's. The photo had been taken a few years ago. His hair had been so long on the picture that he had tied it up. There was a badge over the picture. She had never heard of the organization before. At least they could have kept it secret.

"Do you believe me now?" he asked hopefully. Why was this so important for him? She had to give a disappointing answer again.

"No," he lost his confident poise. He covered his eyes with a hand.

"Now why? I showed you my gun, my ID card and my badge. What more do you need to be convinced?" She sighed. He was acting so stupidly, however, she thought he was being adorable.

"Because if you're really an 'agent', you wouldn't have showed me all of this. For all you know, I could have been a spy. I could have phoned someone who wants to bury you six feet below and you could have been dead. Both of you. You are such an idiot. I don't believe you." He stared at her in awe; a small grin began to appear in the corner of his mouth. "What?" She asked.

"You're a clever, clever girl! You're awesome!" He hugged her so tightly that her ribs and arms began to hurt. She felt her face reddening from the compliment. She was clearly embarrassed.

"It's easy to be clever beside a fool," she shook her head. Whatever his big realisation was, he was ecstatic about it. "Another question: how can you be hunting assassins at this age? You're so young, you could barely have a degree!"

"My father worked for the German police. He was kind of a detective. He noticed that police always had had problems with trained killers. Those cases are still hard to solve in today's world, imagine a post-war country doing the investigating. He gathered a few brilliant cops and detectives with his friend and established this organisation. My father wanted me to pick up where he left off, when he was killed on a job. I didn't wanted it, because I had seen the troubles they had and I certainly didn't wanted it for Luddi. He's 22, but I still see him as my baby brother." He stopped for a moment.

"Eventually, i joined in. I couldn't bear the thought that my father's murderer is out there, killing people and tearing families apart. Ludwig followed me with the same thought of revenge in his head. This was... Two or three years ago, though I didn't let Luddi do anything until he got his degree. He was a bright kid, so he got it before anyone in his age. But I know I will regret being a manhunter sooner or later. Once in, never out."

Suddenly he looked very concerned. Was this her fault? She tilted her head, puzzled.

"Are you okay? You look bothered...," he always had mood swings, so she was sure it was nothing again.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine. Just thought about Luddi... It's nothing." He slapped his forehead. "Fuck, I forgot the notes!"

"Khm, language."

He stared at her. "Seriously? Language?" She nodded.

"Speak properly, for heaven's sake or you don't get notes, Mr Pseudostudent." A weak attempt to try to cheer him up, but she felt it was her job. She couldn't bear the thought of him being sad. He looked like a lost puppy. He shrudded, playing with her.

"Whatever. I can always sneak into your house. Or steal it from your bag. I can do it," she laughed, but cried out when he took away her bag and lifted it into the air. He was laughing. She sprang up, but he was faster and stood on the back-rest of the bench. She fruitlessly tried to reach him. From a sudden idea, which seemed a good one, she jumped on his arm.

As expected, Gilbert lost his balance and they fell to the ground. Elizabet landed on top of Gilbert, his arms holding her tight. Both groaned and she rolled down and sat upright.

"You okay, Liz?" He muttered. She was unhurt, only her head was spinning from a bit, but it was nothing. Gilbert took all the impact.

"Never better. What about you?" He was still lying on the ground. He leaned on his elbows and smiled at her. His hair became dirty. She picked out a few leaves from it.

"I'll live," She held out her arms for him to grab it. She wanted to help him up, but he shook his head.

"Luckily your jacket softened the fall. Maybe this is your punishment. Don't play with me, Beilschmidt!" She laghed, but she had meant every word. Gil reached for her bag and throw it to her. It hit her chest with a splash. She didn't like the sound of it. She closed her eyes then took a closer look. It was soaked. It had fallen into a nearby puddle. She opened it and looked inside. Her notes were all wet, including her laptop bag.

"Gil."

"What?" He glanced up.

"Everything's wet. You owe me the Biochemistry notes and maybe a laptop." He stood up, scrubbing dirt off of his coat and jeans.

"Sure." He rubbed the back of his head. "Now, it's getting late. I guess both of us have something to do, so I'll escort you home, if you don't mind."

"Thanks," no matter how strong and independent she was, it was safer not to take any risk. Especially that she was almost shot today.

On their way home, Gilbert seemed careless, but she could tell from a few movement that he was actually alarmed. He constantly looked around, as if he was expecting some kind of attack.

The distance seemed much shorter than usual. She arrived in the blink of an eye. Gilbert escorted her to her door.

"Still think I'm lying?" He asked with a little hope in his voice.

"I'm a stubborn one," she flashed a weary smile. Gil shook his head.

"I hope you are satisfied...okay, I know you're not. Aaaand, I'll get those nasty notes for ya. If you need it by tomorrow, I'll arrange something to give you time. If your laptop is broken, I'll be the one to blame, so I'll get you a new one." He mumbled.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's not necessary for you to buy a new one. I was just joking. And I won't need those notes tomorrow, but... I don't know the exact damage... So maybe I'll give you a call for the ones of other subjects." She opened the door and threw the bag in.

"Certainly. Good night, Liz! See you tomorrow!"

"Good night, Gil!" He waved and spinned around. He had long and energetic walk in fast pace, but now he was sloppy. _Maybe falling off that bench hurt him more than he shows? Gosh, I hope not..._ Generally she liked to watch him go, disappearing into the crowd without being spotted, so she knew his steps. Something could be wrong with him... She shook her head and stepped inside.

She still needed to take care of her school bag.

xXXx

After Elizabet washed that muddy piece of canvas and dried her books and notebooks she lay down on her bed, facedown. Luckily, her laptop was unharmed.

She was thinking about this unusual German. She almost let her wall down and let him in. What was wrong with her? He had been convincing so much that she had almost believed that story before. She felt bad about being this doubtful. What if it was true? It was so well-composed! But no one can have a job like this.

Something was very extraordinary about him...She couldn't figure out what yet, but it was definetely there. It was on the tip of her tongue everytime they talked. Something about his gem-like eyes and shiny silvery hair... She rolled on her back and covered her face with her hands.

"What the hell is wrong with me? I almost sound like I have a crush on him..."

* * *

 **Thanks guys for reading this week's chapter!:D**

 **Guest reviewer: Thanks for your review, I'm glad you like it:)**

 **Next week will be short, so maybe I can write the new one before Christmas. Until then, have a good week (and let us hope that I actually find a synonime for 'week')**

 **Tschüss!:D**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter contains sexual intercourse (a smutty one) :D I've warned you**

* * *

Elizabet was reading an anatomy book, trying to memorise Latin expressions. She wiped her nose with a tissue. She had runny nose due to her cold. She would have been glad if that had been her only problem. She also had high fever which disabled her. Fortunately, her condition seemed to get better.

But thank God, Gilbert was there to help her.

She was happy about her companion. In the past week, the albino did a great job as a nurse. When his periods were over, he checked on her: asked her about her health, explained what he had learnt or just entertained her in general.

Today, he had arrived ten minutes ago and now was preparing something for her to eat. Food was the last thing she wanted, but he had insisted. He had said that there was nothing better for a cold than chicken soup. She believed him, only because her studies. Soup contained all the nutritions she needed for recovering. Yet she felt sick by the mere mention of food.

But there was a problem about Gilbert nursing Elizabet.

She fancied him even more than before. She would have even said that she was in love with him. Everytime she saw him, she wanted to kiss him. And she was embarassed about this fact, because she was sure he didn't feel the same. However, she hoped it was just the illness' influence.

He appeared in her bedroom. He was wearing her pink apron, which looked hilarious on the grown man. She smiled. He was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup on it. She would have found the smell of it nice any other time, but now the heavy and spicy steam filled every inch of the room, making it even harder for her to breath.

He put it down on her cupboard, next to her bed. She put her textbook away.

"So, are you gonna eat today?" He asked as cheerfully as always. She shook her head.

"Sorry, Gil, but its smell makes me sick...Would you open a window, please?" She didn't mean to offend him, of course.

Gilbert laughed. "Well, isn't this the best criticism a cook wants to hear?" She playfully slapped his arm.

"Ahw, come on, you know what I meant! By the way, you've been here with me for days, yet you don't even have a runny nose or sore throat! What's your secret?"

Gilbert leaned closer to whisper into her ear. She felt her pulse quicken. "I'm too awesome to be ill. Oh, and I eat my soup." She snickered.

"Okay, idiot, stop playing with me!" She was tired of being sick, but if she got handsome Germans nursing her, she would be sick anytime. Gilbert's visits were the highlight of her days.

She picked up a cover from her floor and wrapped herself in it. She was shivering. Gilbert put his hand on her forehead. "Geez, Liz, you're burning hot!" He stood up to search some medicine.

Elizabet wearily smiled. "Thanks," she whispered. She knew it wasn't a compliment, but she tried to make some fun in the situation. How could she have such luck?

Gilbert came back with a glass of water and a little pill in his hands. "Now, would you swallow your medicine?" She took them from him without a word. At least they didn't have any smell. The glass was cold and she wanted to get rid of it as soon as she could. As she was sipping, the water's coldness made her shivering more. "This ought to make you feel better," he said.

She was tired. "Gil," she called out to him. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "I'm gonna sleep. Will you be here when I wake up?"

Gilbert hesitated. "No promises. Depends on how long you're gonna sleep." She closed her eyes and nodded. Elizabet heard him say Gute Nacht, then she drifted into deep sleep.

xXXx

When Elizabet woke up, it had already darkened. She moaned and streched her limbs. She sat up. "Gilbert? You're here?" No one answered, so she guessed he had gone home. Not that he had to stay with her, but she was disappointed.

She picked up her laptop. Feliks sent her an email with a simple message: "Get well soon!" She wondered if she should share with him her feelings about Gilbert. She shrugged. Well, she wouldn't have any harm out of it. She called him via their chat. It would be too long to write things down. She didn't even have the strenght for it yet. But her throat was alright. _This wasn't because of your soup, Gil._ She glanced to the place he had put it. It wasn't there anymore. She guessed he might have taken it to the kitchen.

She heard the voice of Feliks. "Lizzie, you hear me?" She turned to him.

"You bet," he was sitting in a light room. It was his living room, she remembered. "Is Toris with you?" she asked. She didn't want him to hear this or see her. He hadn't left a positive impact on her.

Feliks coughed. "No, he's... he's not here. Actually, I still don't really talk to him. This latest argument messed us up very much." He clapped one. "Okay, enough of me. How's it going? I've heard you were ill... Have you recovered?"

Elizabet shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. I'm still in bed. Still relying on Gilbert. It's a stubborn cold," she saw a glipmse of curiousness in Feliks's eyes. "In fact, I have to tell you something about him..." Yes, he was definetely interested in him, but he did his best to try to cover it. "I think I'm in love with him...? It's strange, though. We met, what, a month ago, maybe... I think he doesn't feel the same... Do you have any advice?"

Feliks slowly nodded. "So, advice, huh? Let me see... I don't really know... You want him to love you, right?"

"Yes."

Feliks put a finger on his lips. "Oh, have you tried seducing him with your beauty?"

She laughed. Her beauty? Sure. "Feliks, dear, I'm not beautiful, nor charming. Especially after he saw me in my worst form. Besides, I'm not flirtatious. I can't flirt. I want to try something else."

He scratched his head. "But Lizzie, you are beautiful! How can't you see it? And what if he saw you without make up and pretty dresses? They have little to do with beauty. I don't think he wears make up. I don't wear make up. Toris don't wear make up. Boys go for natural!"

"Okay, okay, right. Still... seducing? How the hell does that work? Enlighten me!" She demanded.

"Alright. But we have a little trouble here. I didn't really used my charm on anyone. I got Toris hooked by my personality without tricks!"

Elizabet pointed at him. "Now, that's what I can't believe. You're a waiter and you don't flirt with anyone for tips? Even a homosexual would flirt with women for money!" She hope she didn't offend him. He looked a bit hesitant.

Fortunately, Feliks smiled at her. "I would flirt with men, but everyone would find it disgusting. Poland isn't the most tolerant country. It's not America. Queers are casted out. And with women... I haven't tried it. They are a different universe for me, no offense. However, Toris seems to understand both genders..." He looked sulky and crossed his arms.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's just that apperently, he began to flirt with Braginsky's creepy sister since our quarrel. It annoys me to no end, but what can I do about it? His attraction seems unreturned. And if I hurt Natalia, Braginsky might fire me. " She was shocked. Was Toris a bi or what now? She was astonished to see how calm Feliks was about the situation.

"That sucks." She had no idea who Braginsky was. Maybe his boss. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm good. He just needs his own time, like me. According to plans, we will go to a holiday in December together. But lots of things could change till then. Who knows, we might as well break up!" He was bitter, she saw. She could understand it. She was bitter too. Lovesick.

"That's good news, then. I mean the holiday. Where to? And be a little more positive, Feliks!" She always gave advices, even if they didn't mean anything to her. Usually, she knew she wouldn't do as she adviced in the same situation. Not if it was even rational.

Feliks was thinking a moment before answering. "Budapest," he said carefully. She didn't know why was that. Probably he was unsure.

"That's great! Then we could meet!" she remembered it was their holiday. They probably didn't want a third wheel. "If you wanted, of course." She sniffed and turned around for tissues. There were none. "Excuse me, I need a tissue, I'll be back in a minute." Feliks nodded and she got out of bed.

Her head was aching badly. She went into her living room, where the box was. She clicked up the lights. She saw a piece of paper next to the tissues. It was labeled for her. She was puzzled. When she read it, she couldn't believe a word. She read it again and again. Then she went back to her bed. She was silent.

Feliks noticed that something was wrong with her. "Lizzie? Everything's okay? Don't you feel well? I can leave... Wait, are you crying?" She hadn't noticed the warm tears streaming down on her cheeks. "What's happened?"

"I-I've found a letter on my coffeetable. And it's horrible. Really."

He wasn't very satisfied with her answer. She wasn't very specific. But she wasn't sure she could tell him it without falling apart. "What's in the letter? Would you read it out for me?"

"I'll try. Khm... 'Liz, I am terribly sorry for what I have to say, but I must go. We must go mit Ludwig." She didn't noticed how pale Feliks went suddenly and how alerted he got. "We can't stay any longer. Hell, we've been staying in the same place for too long. I hope you know this is NOT your fault. If you belive me now, you know why I have to leave. We have someone at our heels. If you don't believe me, well, my conscience is clear as snow. We'll leave as soon as we can. Don't search for us. Get well soon! Gilbert'."

Both of them were silent for a moment. It was Elizabet who spoke first, sobbing. "I don't understand... What is wrong with me? Why does everyone leave me? You know what? You'll leave me too... Let's leave me now! This way I'll be spared from more pain..."

Feliks was still shocked. Elizabet didn't know, but Toris's suspicion proved to be right. And Feliks was almost 100 percent certain. He finally found his voice. "Lizzie, pull yourself together! I'm right here and I won't leave you. Gilbert is an asshole. What was he talking about, anyway?" She agreed with him.

She sniffed, but she was furious now. Feliks was right. Gilbert didn't have the right to do this. "He told me that he had a dangerous job, but I didn't believe him then. Nor do I do now. But then again, what is the explanation of this? I'm gonna go to his apartment right now." She stood up.

"No, no, no, no, no! Don't, Lizzie!"

"Why?"

Actually, Feliks didn't have a good answer. He tried to improvise. "Because he obviously doesn't love you. He's not worth it!"

She didn't consider his advice. "Thanks, but I'll go. I'll make him stay. I'll make him pay." She was too angry with Gilbert to make wise decisions. She thought it was a good idea to tell him what she thought. And Feliks didn't try to stop her this time. She turned off her laptop and put on her coat. She didn't care she only wore shorts and a T-shirt as pijamas. Her coat was long, so she wasn't afraid of the cold. She had already been ill.

It was colder than she had expected. She was trembling and her teeth were chattering as she walked.

This time she didn't hear any noise from the Beilschmidts' apartment. She guessed it was too late to listen anything loudly. She found a bell and pressed it. It was Ludwig who stood in the door this time. He filled in the doorway, she could almost see anything behind him. He was wearing a suit. He looked puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

"Is your brother at home right now?" He looked her up and down, then let her in.

"Gilbert, Elizabet ist hier! Wo bist du?" As an answer to his question, Gilbert stepped out of a room.

"I'm here, Luddi. Don't yell. And Liz, why aren't you in bed?" He looked surprised and guilty. He was wearing a suit too. She couldn't help herself, she found him even more handsome than before.

She pulled out his note from her pocket and waved it in front of him. "As if you don't know!"

Ludwig stepped to them. He was about two heads taller than Elizabet, yet she wasn't afraid of him. Not anymore. "May I?" he pointed at the paper in her hand and she gave it to him. She defiantly looked at Gilbert, who tried to avoid her gaze. He awkwardly put his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Why don't you take off your coat, Liz?" He asked her, trying to communicate while he was waiting for his dead sentence from his brother.

"I'm cold." She didn't play along.

Ludwig didn't glance up from the letter when he adressed his brother. "Gilbert, you dumbass. What is this? 'We have someone at our heels'? Why did you write that? She wasn't supposed to know anything!"

She crossed her arms and sat down on the sofa. She was about to witness another fight between the brothers.

"Mein Gott, Ludwig! I had to tell her what are we doing for living! She was demanding it! You were here!" He lowered his voice back to normal volume. "Not that she believes me, but whatever, I had to."

"Oh, I see this, but why did you write her that someone knows where we are? What if she has connections?" What had he meant by that? Connections, like people who could take advantage of the information? She certainly didn't have any.

Gilbert thought the same. "Come on, we have already been through this once! She's harmless! You said it yourself." She curled up into a ball in her seat to keep herself warm more easily. Her rage was disappearing rapidly.

"But I'm not so sure anymore. How long have that note been lying in her apartment before she discovered it? Minutes? Hours? Anyone could have just walk in, if he had had a lockpick. You were illogical once again. What's happened with you? Since we're here, you have lost your mind-" He looked at her and gasped. His face mirrored understanding. "You're in love, aren't you?"

Gilbert squinted and shook his head, his neck becoming slightly pink. "No, I'm not. Stop accusing me with such... accusation, or whatever." He spoke English poorlier than his brother, but this was lacking logic more than usual.

Elizabet spoke for the first time during their argument. "Liar. As always." Both of the Germans turned to her.

"What?" asked Gil, his face completely turned to red. "Why would you say that?" Ludwig stayed quiet, but the same question was in his gaze.

"Because there's no reason to be as red as a rose. I'm red, because I've been outside. You're red because you're hiding something. Something embarrassing."

"I'm not-" She stood up, interrupting him. She felt dizzy for a moment.

"What is it, Gil? Last time when you were angry, you were calm on the outside. You're not hot either, for it is not too hot in here. Ludwig is fully clothed too. So what is it?" She looked at him defiantly. "It's either your brother's right or you're hiding something else... Wha-" She was beyond surprised when he passionately pressed his lips against hers. His lips were beer flavoured. He broke it too soon.

"That's it. That's what I've been hiding." Elizabet stood speechlessly. He turned around and pointed at Ludwig. "You bastard, you always have to speak what you've got on your mind, don't you? Now thanks. Both of you. We've just killed Liz."

Gilbert was right. He meant it as a metaphor, but she really felt sick from the sudden experience. Although, she was bursting with joy, she had to close her eyes for a moment to get herself together. Her head was spinning and could only make out a few words of the brothers' sentences.

She fell over.

When she came to, she was lying on a couch, Ludwig standing next to her with concern in his blue eyes. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her down gently. Her coat had been removed, and she had a few blankets on her. She licked her lips. "Did-did I faint?" she asked him.

Ludwig nodded. "And you hit your head a bit. We couldn't catch you in time," now she knew why her head was pounding. She touched where it hurt the most, but her fingers weren't bloody. She was relieved. "Gilbert's gone somewhere. He said he'll be back." For some reason, she was glad it was Ludwig who was standing besides her, not Gilbert. The blond man looked more reliable, she guessed, even though she loved Gil. "I'll get you a glass of water."

She watched him go. Where was Gilbert? Maybe he felt too embarrassed to be with them. "Elizabet, what do you think about brother?" Ludwig asked her as he walked in again. She thanked the water and sat up to drink it.

"What do I think about him? I... I love him." Ludwig didn't seem surprised at all. She was confused: had he known this all along?

Ludwig grabbed a chair and sat next to her. He took off his coat and carefully put it on the backrest. He leaned on his knees after he slicked down his hair. "That's good. He'd deserved it in normal circumstances." She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, if he had a normal life, like you. But it's dangerous to be in love with someone in our kind of work."

"Do you really hunt assassins?"

"Yes, but I know it's hard to believe. Sometimes I can't believe it myself."

Elizabet sighed, rubbing her forehead. "For some reasons I believe you more..."

"Okay, then I say you two should enjoy each other's company. It doesn't matter anymore, in my opinion. It's rare for us to have relationships, so we grab every chance desparetely." He stared into the thin air. She wasn't sure if he was still talking to her. She thought he might have had experience in it. Bad experience.

"Say, Ludwig, when are you gonna leave?" she thought they must have stayed for a few days to cover their tracks as much as they could. But she didn't have high expectations.

Ludwig looked at her. "We planned to leave tonight." She was shocked. It couldn't be that short time. Was this the reason why Gilbert disappeared so suddenly without any warning?

"Tonight? That's early!"

"Yes, but I think we'll stay a few more days." She found this reassuring. She would have time to get used to the thought of being alone again. "But things will be hard..."

She had a sudden thought. If it was already too dangerous for her, she could as well have some benefit from it. "Who has found you? If you don't mind me asking."

Ludwig frowned. Was she too bold? She sat up slowly to be in Ludwig's sight. He sat back and crossed his arms. Eventually, he shrugged. "We assume it's some Northern European, maybe Russian... Those men are just the same for me. I'm not sure in their names. We've only noticed that we're being followed. We were bugged. Gil knows better what's going on, he's in touch with the headquarters. He's, well... he's the boss," he added.

She remembered that he had said something like this. That their father had been the co-founder or what... "What danger am I in?"

Ludwig chuckled. "You are surprisingly calm about this! And to be honest, I don't know. If those men catch up, you can be tortured for information, killed, imprisoned..." he counted the possible outcomes on his fingers.

"Ludwig! Don't tell her such awful things! It's not awesome!" Gilbert hurried to them. He knew she was awake, but he was still hesitant to even look at her. Ludwig noticed this and groaned.

"Oh, come on, brother, don't be such a sissy! Be a man and talk to her, for God's sake!" He stood up and got dressed. "I'm going out for an hour or two. Don't destroy the apartment!" With this, he left the two of them alone.

Neither of them said a word. Elizabeth broke the silence.

"So, you don't have anything to say?" Gilbert sat down in the chair where his brother had sat a minute ago. He put his hand on her forehead. She sighed when Gilbert stood up. "Gil, I have already eaten two pills today. You can't give me more... Besides, I'm sure I'm fine!"

"Says the girl who fainted like... Fifteen minutes ago," he said.

Elizabet slowly clapped. "Wow, he talks!"

"Why do you need to be so mean? I'm trying to help ya. Especially that I'm now surely ill too."

Elizabet didn't know what had been that kiss. It was sudden. "And is it my fault that you kissed me?"

He returned with a wet dish towel in his hand and gingerly scrubbed face with it. She took it away from him. She felt she didn't have fever. "I was cornered," he finally answered her. "But I don't regret it. Yet."

"You know how to courage a girl, Gilbert," she said tonelessly. He chuckled.

"Oh, come on, we know what the out-come will be, don't we? In addition, you don't feel the same way as I do..."

She looked at him, frowning. What did he mean? This can have two meanings, she guessed. He either loved her, but thought that she didn't or he didn't and just only kissed her to get rid of his brother. And she didn't dare to hope in the first. She decided to take the risk to find out which one was true. "I don't know what do you mean... I think I'm in love with you. What do you feel?"

He seemed shocked, but after a moment his astonished expression turned into a happy grin. "I can't believe you right now, Liz!" He cupped her face and fiercily kissed her. Desire caught on fire in her. She didn't know how much she had longed for him. She put her arms around his neck and forced him to kiss her slower. She was tired, after all. But how she wished she hadn't been! Even though he followed her lead, he was hungry for her.

Suddenly, he laughed and broke the kiss. They breathed in each other's air, their foreheads rested on the other's. "Oh, my little brother was so thoughtful! He's left us alone for a while! Incredible!" He panted. She was thinking about it too. Ludwig gave them time. He know what they felt. He approved it, too. And now, the whole apartment were theirs alone. She felt herself blushing, but she was bursting with joy at the same time.

"Yeah, whatever, thanks, Ludwig. But... we have other things to concentrate on at the moment" She exhaled. Gilbert giggled and let her messing up with his tie and shirt. She quickly found a way to get rid of the tie and unbuttoning his shirt was a piece of cake.

He chuckled and picked her up. She screamed in surprise and he headed to a closed door. She guessed it was his bedroom. _Well, this is quick development!_ But she remembered that according to Ludwig they would leave any day now, and they should have enjoyed their little time together. This might have been their only chance of being together in any way.

He kicked the door open and carried her to his bed. He closed the door and leaned above her. She was amazed that he had further thoughts. She was just a pile of lust...

"Aren't you worried you'll catch a cold from me?" she smiled while taking off his shirt. It landed on the floor.

He shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, right? I didn't care about it before I kissed dich. Only your opinion matters. If you say stop, we stop."

"Shut up," she whispered and pulled him down to her and kissed him. His mouth was rough. This time he didn't held himself back. He propped himself on his arms, but she pulled him down by his muscular shoulders on her. She eagerly pressed her mouth against his.

He embraced her and sat up with her. He slipped his hands under her top and started to explore her body: he caressed her skin, slowly up from her belly then gently stroked her breasts. She felt her nipples stiffen under his touch. Her skin became so sensitive to touch that when he cupped and confidently squeezed them, she groaned in pain and delight. He was grinning. He pulled off her shirt.

Elizabet tried to earn the same effect for him. She combed his hair with one of her hands, making it a mess, while the fingers of the other slowly stroked his back muscles, making him shiver. She broke their kiss and gently blew kisses on his neck and collarbone. Every now and then she bit his creamy white skin. He made a throaty, deep moan and pinned her down on the bed. He leaned to her ear, his mouth brushing it. "You don't play it fairly, do you?" She giggled as an answer.

She knew he was ready to play roughly.

Gilbert gently bit her skin, but the tip of his tongue touched her everytime, making it extremily crucifying for her. She was screaming in joy. "Gil, move on, dammit!" she cried. She had a feeling that he wouldn't. He was still lying on her and pinning her down by her wrists. She was helpless. Gilbert moved his hand to her thighs and she was free. He didn't removed her pants, just slipped his hand under her lacy underwear caressing her most intimate parts, making her moaning loudly. She became wet. But when she gripped his penis through his pants, he gasped and laughed. He took the hint, but didn't let her to tease him like he did to her.

He sat up to remove her shorts and underwear and she unbuckled his trousers. When both of them were naked, they just stared at each other for a minute. She found him beautiful as he was. Gilbert pulled on a condom and looked into her eyes. She nodded and he hungrily pushed her down, as if there was no tomorrow. She threw her head back and cried out in pleasure when he entered her, gripping the sheet under her. She lifted up her hip to make it easier. They soon found their own rythm. He was strong and she let him do the work. He didn't stop when he came.

She scratched his shoulders, leaving red traces all over them, as he thrusted. Her arms dropped. Soonly she let out a delighted cry and fell back, panting. He lay next to her and embraced her. His body was shiny with sweat. She was tired, but she thought she would always be tired if it meant being so calm. He pulled a blanket on them. She thought she fitted perfectly in his arms. She exhaled peacefully and closed her eyes.

"This was awesome," he breathed.

"Gil" she mumbled, half-asleep.

"Hm?" she guessed he was sleepy too. She smiled and put her hands against his torso.

"Don't leave me, please." She was now even sadder than she had been, when she knew she meant something for him too. She couldn't believe how this man had such a dangerous life. She knew by his looks that he didn't like playing safely, but this was too much. "But don't make empty promises. I want to go with you. I'm already in danger, according to your brother."

She almost couldn't make out his reply. It was just a low whisper. "Don't be so crazy, Liz. This is madness." She moaned as an answer, but she didn't know if it was with approval or disapproval. She heard quiet snoring beside her then she fell asleep too.

xXXx

Gilbert escorted her in the morning. They were walking hand-in-hand, like a real couple. She knew they were one, even though they hadn't said it out loud. It was Saturday morning.

"Liz, why don't you have a smartphone?" he asked, when she checked the old mobile.

She shrugged. "No specific reasons, I guess. I just don't feel the need of carrying a whole compact computer with me, when I have my laptop and I only use this one to recieve calls. Which rarely happens."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll buy you one."

She was shocked and wasn't sure if she had heard it right. What would have she done with a smartphone? She wasn't good at typing on such a small keyboard. And it was a big gift. "What? You can't buy me a phone!"

"Oh, yes I can, and I already have." He was grinning as he pulled out a small box out of his bag.

She hesitantly took it and examined the box with care. She couldn't believe this man at all. He was full of surprises and unexpected moves. And this was exactly what she needed. She opened it and a white phone lay in there which was bigger than her old one. "Well, I don't know what to say... Thanks. But why?"

He flashed a snow white smile and spread out his arms. "It was annoying, you know. Here's you, who always cling to your laptop, but don't have a decent phone. And you wouldn't buy one!"

"What's the matter with my phone?" she said, clinging into his arms.

"It wasn't decent."

She rolled her eyes, but she was amused. "Of course, I wouldn't have figured."

Gilbert escorted her home. Elizabet was playing with her keys nervously on her doorstep. Her mind was constantly on something. "Hey, Gil... I know you have to leave, but... do you want to leave?"

Gilbert ran his fingers through his hair hesitantly. She knew he would leave her behind. It was the only rational choice. But again, logic wasn't love's main characteristic. Gilbert put his hands into his pockets. "I don't want to leave you, of course. But... this place is too risky for Ludwig and me. And I don't know how to feel about you being a risk factor... I haven't forgotten what you said yesterday. About coming with us... Liz, are you serious about that?"

Elizabet barely remembered she had said anything like that, but as he mentioned it, it all came back. She wasn't so sure in herself now. The Beilschmidts are wanted. She is just a lone girl, but maybe those who chased the brothers would find her an interesting source of information. She'd have liked to deny this. "Depends... what do you think is safer for me?"

Gilbert clicked with his tongue and scratched the back of his head. He nervously breathed a chuckle. "Probably if you stayed here... oder I want to keep an eye on you badly..." he sighed. "Stay. That's the best solution for us. I'll watch over you."

She was slightly disappointed about his decision. She secretly hoped he would insist on bringing her with them, however, she was relieved too. Her life was monotonous, yes, but she wasn't mad to choose danger over comfort. She hugged him tightly. "Okay. I believe you."

He kissed Elizabet softly and exhaled a low 'Danke' into her mouth. She knew it was important for him, for she had had trust issues about his job and whole personality. It hadn't gone completely though. Her common sense told her it was better not to trust him completely, but she ignored the thin voice. "We'll leave tomorrow morning." She nodded.

Gilbert promised to say goodbye to her in the morning, then left.

Elizabet threw herself on her bed and stared at her ceiling. It was stained with who knows what. She covered her eyes with her forearm, thinking about last night and blushed.

She had forgotten about her promised letter to Feliks, but she should have remembered it. Of course, she had no idea why that would have been important.

* * *

 **A/N: So, happy New Year, guys and thanks for reading! I specifically don't really celebrate it, but you go:D**

 **Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too... hm, spicy for you, but I enjoyed writing it, so sorry x3**

 **I'm also sorry for my foolish grammatical mistakes, I know I have them. So if you notice anything, just write it and I'll fix it.**

 **Have a good day:D**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter contains sexual intercourse (a smutty one) :D I've warned you**

* * *

Elizabet was reading an anatomy book, trying to memorise Latin expressions. She wiped her nose with a tissue. She had runny nose due to her cold. She would have been glad if that had been her only problem. She also had high fever which disabled her. Fortunately, her condition seemed to get better.

But thank God, Gilbert was there to help her.

She was happy about her companion. In the past week, the albino did a great job as a nurse. When his periods were over, he checked on her: asked her about her health, explained what he had learnt or just entertained her in general.

Today, he had arrived ten minutes ago and now was preparing something for her to eat. Food was the last thing she wanted, but he had insisted. He had said that there was nothing better for a cold than chicken soup. She believed him, only because her studies. Soup contained all the nutritions she needed for recovering. Yet she felt sick by the mere mention of food.

But there was a problem about Gilbert nursing Elizabet.

She fancied him even more than before. She would have even said that she was in love with him. Everytime she saw him, she wanted to kiss him. And she was embarassed about this fact, because she was sure he didn't feel the same. However, she hoped it was just the illness' influence.

He appeared in her bedroom. He was wearing her pink apron, which looked hilarious on the grown man. She smiled. He was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup on it. She would have found the smell of it nice any other time, but now the heavy and spicy steam filled every inch of the room, making it even harder for her to breath.

He put it down on her cupboard, next to her bed. She put her textbook away.

"So, are you gonna eat today?" He asked as cheerfully as always. She shook her head.

"Sorry, Gil, but its smell makes me sick...Would you open a window, please?" She didn't mean to offend him, of course.

Gilbert laughed. "Well, isn't this the best criticism a cook wants to hear?" She playfully slapped his arm.

"Ahw, come on, you know what I meant! By the way, you've been here with me for days, yet you don't even have a runny nose or sore throat! What's your secret?"

Gilbert leaned closer to whisper into her ear. She felt her pulse quicken. "I'm too awesome to be ill. Oh, and I eat my soup." She snickered.

"Okay, idiot, stop playing with me!" She was tired of being sick, but if she got handsome Germans nursing her, she would be sick anytime. Gilbert's visits were the highlight of her days.

She picked up a cover from her floor and wrapped herself in it. She was shivering. Gilbert put his hand on her forehead. "Geez, Liz, you're burning hot!" He stood up to search some medicine.

Elizabet wearily smiled. "Thanks," she whispered. She knew it wasn't a compliment, but she tried to make some fun in the situation. How could she have such luck?

Gilbert came back with a glass of water and a little pill in his hands. "Now, would you swallow your medicine?" She took them from him without a word. At least they didn't have any smell. The glass was cold and she wanted to get rid of it as soon as she could. As she was sipping, the water's coldness made her shivering more. "This ought to make you feel better," he said.

She was tired. "Gil," she called out to him. He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "I'm gonna sleep. Will you be here when I wake up?"

Gilbert hesitated. "No promises. Depends on how long you're gonna sleep." She closed her eyes and nodded. Elizabet heard him say Gute Nacht, then she drifted into deep sleep.

xXXx

When Elizabet woke up, it had already darkened. She moaned and streched her limbs. She sat up. "Gilbert? You're here?" No one answered, so she guessed he had gone home. Not that he had to stay with her, but she was disappointed.

She picked up her laptop. Feliks sent her an email with a simple message: "Get well soon!" She wondered if she should share with him her feelings about Gilbert. She shrugged. Well, she wouldn't have any harm out of it. She called him via their chat. It would be too long to write things down. She didn't even have the strenght for it yet. But her throat was alright. _This wasn't because of your soup, Gil._ She glanced to the place he had put it. It wasn't there anymore. She guessed he might have taken it to the kitchen.

She heard the voice of Feliks. "Lizzie, you hear me?" She turned to him.

"You bet," he was sitting in a light room. It was his living room, she remembered. "Is Toris with you?" she asked. She didn't want him to hear this or see her. He hadn't left a positive impact on her.

Feliks coughed. "No, he's... he's not here. Actually, I still don't really talk to him. This latest argument messed us up very much." He clapped one. "Okay, enough of me. How's it going? I've heard you were ill... Have you recovered?"

Elizabet shook her head. "I wouldn't say that. I'm still in bed. Still relying on Gilbert. It's a stubborn cold," she saw a glipmse of curiousness in Feliks's eyes. "In fact, I have to tell you something about him..." Yes, he was definetely interested in him, but he did his best to try to cover it. "I think I'm in love with him...? It's strange, though. We met, what, a month ago, maybe... I think he doesn't feel the same... Do you have any advice?"

Feliks slowly nodded. "So, advice, huh? Let me see... I don't really know... You want him to love you, right?"

"Yes."

Feliks put a finger on his lips. "Oh, have you tried seducing him with your beauty?"

She laughed. Her beauty? Sure. "Feliks, dear, I'm not beautiful, nor charming. Especially after he saw me in my worst form. Besides, I'm not flirtatious. I can't flirt. I want to try something else."

He scratched his head. "But Lizzie, you are beautiful! How can't you see it? And what if he saw you without make up and pretty dresses? They have little to do with beauty. I don't think he wears make up. I don't wear make up. Toris don't wear make up. Boys go for natural!"

"Okay, okay, right. Still... seducing? How the hell does that work? Enlighten me!" She demanded.

"Alright. But we have a little trouble here. I didn't really used my charm on anyone. I got Toris hooked by my personality without tricks!"

Elizabet pointed at him. "Now, that's what I can't believe. You're a waiter and you don't flirt with anyone for tips? Even a homosexual would flirt with women for money!" She hope she didn't offend him. He looked a bit hesitant.

Fortunately, Feliks smiled at her. "I would flirt with men, but everyone would find it disgusting. Poland isn't the most tolerant country. It's not America. Queers are casted out. And with women... I haven't tried it. They are a different universe for me, no offense. However, Toris seems to understand both genders..." He looked sulky and crossed his arms.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's just that apperently, he began to flirt with Braginsky's creepy sister since our quarrel. It annoys me to no end, but what can I do about it? His attraction seems unreturned. And if I hurt Natalia, Braginsky might fire me. " She was shocked. Was Toris a bi or what now? She was astonished to see how calm Feliks was about the situation.

"That sucks." She had no idea who Braginsky was. Maybe his boss. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm good. He just needs his own time, like me. According to plans, we will go to a holiday in December together. But lots of things could change till then. Who knows, we might as well break up!" He was bitter, she saw. She could understand it. She was bitter too. Lovesick.

"That's good news, then. I mean the holiday. Where to? And be a little more positive, Feliks!" She always gave advices, even if they didn't mean anything to her. Usually, she knew she wouldn't do as she adviced in the same situation. Not if it was even rational.

Feliks was thinking a moment before answering. "Budapest," he said carefully. She didn't know why was that. Probably he was unsure.

"That's great! Then we could meet!" she remembered it was their holiday. They probably didn't want a third wheel. "If you wanted, of course." She sniffed and turned around for tissues. There were none. "Excuse me, I need a tissue, I'll be back in a minute." Feliks nodded and she got out of bed.

Her head was aching badly. She went into her living room, where the box was. She clicked up the lights. She saw a piece of paper next to the tissues. It was labeled for her. She was puzzled. When she read it, she couldn't believe a word. She read it again and again. Then she went back to her bed. She was silent.

Feliks noticed that something was wrong with her. "Lizzie? Everything's okay? Don't you feel well? I can leave... Wait, are you crying?" She hadn't noticed the warm tears streaming down on her cheeks. "What's happened?"

"I-I've found a letter on my coffeetable. And it's horrible. Really."

He wasn't very satisfied with her answer. She wasn't very specific. But she wasn't sure she could tell him it without falling apart. "What's in the letter? Would you read it out for me?"

"I'll try. Khm... 'Liz, I am terribly sorry for what I have to say, but I must go. We must go mit Ludwig." She didn't noticed how pale Feliks went suddenly and how alerted he got. "We can't stay any longer. Hell, we've been staying in the same place for too long. I hope you know this is NOT your fault. If you belive me now, you know why I have to leave. We have someone at our heels. If you don't believe me, well, my conscience is clear as snow. We'll leave as soon as we can. Don't search for us. Get well soon! Gilbert'."

Both of them were silent for a moment. It was Elizabet who spoke first, sobbing. "I don't understand... What is wrong with me? Why does everyone leave me? You know what? You'll leave me too... Let's leave me now! This way I'll be spared from more pain..."

Feliks was still shocked. Elizabet didn't know, but Toris's suspicion proved to be right. And Feliks was almost 100 percent certain. He finally found his voice. "Lizzie, pull yourself together! I'm right here and I won't leave you. Gilbert is an asshole. What was he talking about, anyway?" She agreed with him.

She sniffed, but she was furious now. Feliks was right. Gilbert didn't have the right to do this. "He told me that he had a dangerous job, but I didn't believe him then. Nor do I do now. But then again, what is the explanation of this? I'm gonna go to his apartment right now." She stood up.

"No, no, no, no, no! Don't, Lizzie!"

"Why?"

Actually, Feliks didn't have a good answer. He tried to improvise. "Because he obviously doesn't love you. He's not worth it!"

She didn't consider his advice. "Thanks, but I'll go. I'll make him stay. I'll make him pay." She was too angry with Gilbert to make wise decisions. She thought it was a good idea to tell him what she thought. And Feliks didn't try to stop her this time. She turned off her laptop and put on her coat. She didn't care she only wore shorts and a T-shirt as pijamas. Her coat was long, so she wasn't afraid of the cold. She had already been ill.

It was colder than she had expected. She was trembling and her teeth were chattering as she walked.

This time she didn't hear any noise from the Beilschmidts' apartment. She guessed it was too late to listen anything loudly. She found a bell and pressed it. It was Ludwig who stood in the door this time. He filled in the doorway, she could almost see anything behind him. He was wearing a suit. He looked puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

"Is your brother at home right now?" He looked her up and down, then let her in.

"Gilbert, Elizabet ist hier! Wo bist du?" As an answer to his question, Gilbert stepped out of a room.

"I'm here, Luddi. Don't yell. And Liz, why aren't you in bed?" He looked surprised and guilty. He was wearing a suit too. She couldn't help herself, she found him even more handsome than before.

She pulled out his note from her pocket and waved it in front of him. "As if you don't know!"

Ludwig stepped to them. He was about two heads taller than Elizabet, yet she wasn't afraid of him. Not anymore. "May I?" he pointed at the paper in her hand and she gave it to him. She defiantly looked at Gilbert, who tried to avoid her gaze. He awkwardly put his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Why don't you take off your coat, Liz?" He asked her, trying to communicate while he was waiting for his dead sentence from his brother.

"I'm cold." She didn't play along.

Ludwig didn't glance up from the letter when he adressed his brother. "Gilbert, you dumbass. What is this? 'We have someone at our heels'? Why did you write that? She wasn't supposed to know anything!"

She crossed her arms and sat down on the sofa. She was about to witness another fight between the brothers.

"Mein Gott, Ludwig! I had to tell her what are we doing for living! She was demanding it! You were here!" He lowered his voice back to normal volume. "Not that she believes me, but whatever, I had to."

"Oh, I see this, but why did you write her that someone knows where we are? What if she has connections?" What had he meant by that? Connections, like people who could take advantage of the information? She certainly didn't have any.

Gilbert thought the same. "Come on, we have already been through this once! She's harmless! You said it yourself." She curled up into a ball in her seat to keep herself warm more easily. Her rage was disappearing rapidly.

"But I'm not so sure anymore. How long have that note been lying in her apartment before she discovered it? Minutes? Hours? Anyone could have just walk in, if he had had a lockpick. You were illogical once again. What's happened with you? Since we're here, you have lost your mind-" He looked at her and gasped. His face mirrored understanding. "You're in love, aren't you?"

Gilbert squinted and shook his head, his neck becoming slightly pink. "No, I'm not. Stop accusing me with such... accusation, or whatever." He spoke English poorlier than his brother, but this was lacking logic more than usual.

Elizabet spoke for the first time during their argument. "Liar. As always." Both of the Germans turned to her.

"What?" asked Gil, his face completely turned to red. "Why would you say that?" Ludwig stayed quiet, but the same question was in his gaze.

"Because there's no reason to be as red as a rose. I'm red, because I've been outside. You're red because you're hiding something. Something embarrassing."

"I'm not-" She stood up, interrupting him. She felt dizzy for a moment.

"What is it, Gil? Last time when you were angry, you were calm on the outside. You're not hot either, for it is not too hot in here. Ludwig is fully clothed too. So what is it?" She looked at him defiantly. "It's either your brother's right or you're hiding something else... Wha-" She was beyond surprised when he passionately pressed his lips against hers. His lips were beer flavoured. He broke it too soon.

"That's it. That's what I've been hiding." Elizabet stood speechlessly. He turned around and pointed at Ludwig. "You bastard, you always have to speak what you've got on your mind, don't you? Now thanks. Both of you. We've just killed Liz."

Gilbert was right. He meant it as a metaphor, but she really felt sick from the sudden experience. Although, she was bursting with joy, she had to close her eyes for a moment to get herself together. Her head was spinning and could only make out a few words of the brothers' sentences.

She fell over.

When she came to, she was lying on a couch, Ludwig standing next to her with concern in his blue eyes. She tried to sit up, but he pushed her down gently. Her coat had been removed, and she had a few blankets on her. She licked her lips. "Did-did I faint?" she asked him.

Ludwig nodded. "And you hit your head a bit. We couldn't catch you in time," now she knew why her head was pounding. She touched where it hurt the most, but her fingers weren't bloody. She was relieved. "Gilbert's gone somewhere. He said he'll be back." For some reason, she was glad it was Ludwig who was standing besides her, not Gilbert. The blond man looked more reliable, she guessed, even though she loved Gil. "I'll get you a glass of water."

She watched him go. Where was Gilbert? Maybe he felt too embarrassed to be with them. "Elizabet, what do you think about brother?" Ludwig asked her as he walked in again. She thanked the water and sat up to drink it.

"What do I think about him? I... I love him." Ludwig didn't seem surprised at all. She was confused: had he known this all along?

Ludwig grabbed a chair and sat next to her. He took off his coat and carefully put it on the backrest. He leaned on his knees after he slicked down his hair. "That's good. He'd deserved it in normal circumstances." She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, if he had a normal life, like you. But it's dangerous to be in love with someone in our kind of work."

"Do you really hunt assassins?"

"Yes, but I know it's hard to believe. Sometimes I can't believe it myself."

Elizabet sighed, rubbing her forehead. "For some reasons I believe you more..."

"Okay, then I say you two should enjoy each other's company. It doesn't matter anymore, in my opinion. It's rare for us to have relationships, so we grab every chance desparetely." He stared into the thin air. She wasn't sure if he was still talking to her. She thought he might have had experience in it. Bad experience.

"Say, Ludwig, when are you gonna leave?" she thought they must have stayed for a few days to cover their tracks as much as they could. But she didn't have high expectations.

Ludwig looked at her. "We planned to leave tonight." She was shocked. It couldn't be that short time. Was this the reason why Gilbert disappeared so suddenly without any warning?

"Tonight? That's early!"

"Yes, but I think we'll stay a few more days." She found this reassuring. She would have time to get used to the thought of being alone again. "But things will be hard..."

She had a sudden thought. If it was already too dangerous for her, she could as well have some benefit from it. "Who has found you? If you don't mind me asking."

Ludwig frowned. Was she too bold? She sat up slowly to be in Ludwig's sight. He sat back and crossed his arms. Eventually, he shrugged. "We assume it's some Northern European, maybe Russian... Those men are just the same for me. I'm not sure in their names. We've only noticed that we're being followed. We were bugged. Gil knows better what's going on, he's in touch with the headquarters. He's, well... he's the boss," he added.

She remembered that he had said something like this. That their father had been the co-founder or what... "What danger am I in?"

Ludwig chuckled. "You are surprisingly calm about this! And to be honest, I don't know. If those men catch up, you can be tortured for information, killed, imprisoned..." he counted the possible outcomes on his fingers.

"Ludwig! Don't tell her such awful things! It's not awesome!" Gilbert hurried to them. He knew she was awake, but he was still hesitant to even look at her. Ludwig noticed this and groaned.

"Oh, come on, brother, don't be such a sissy! Be a man and talk to her, for God's sake!" He stood up and got dressed. "I'm going out for an hour or two. Don't destroy the apartment!" With this, he left the two of them alone.

Neither of them said a word. Elizabeth broke the silence.

"So, you don't have anything to say?" Gilbert sat down in the chair where his brother had sat a minute ago. He put his hand on her forehead. She sighed when Gilbert stood up. "Gil, I have already eaten two pills today. You can't give me more... Besides, I'm sure I'm fine!"

"Says the girl who fainted like... Fifteen minutes ago," he said.

Elizabet slowly clapped. "Wow, he talks!"

"Why do you need to be so mean? I'm trying to help ya. Especially that I'm now surely ill too."

Elizabet didn't know what had been that kiss. It was sudden. "And is it my fault that you kissed me?"

He returned with a wet dish towel in his hand and gingerly scrubbed face with it. She took it away from him. She felt she didn't have fever. "I was cornered," he finally answered her. "But I don't regret it. Yet."

"You know how to courage a girl, Gilbert," she said tonelessly. He chuckled.

"Oh, come on, we know what the out-come will be, don't we? In addition, you don't feel the same way as I do..."

She looked at him, frowning. What did he mean? This can have two meanings, she guessed. He either loved her, but thought that she didn't or he didn't and just only kissed her to get rid of his brother. And she didn't dare to hope in the first. She decided to take the risk to find out which one was true. "I don't know what do you mean... I think I'm in love with you. What do you feel?"

He seemed shocked, but after a moment his astonished expression turned into a happy grin. "I can't believe you right now, Liz!" He cupped her face and fiercily kissed her. Desire caught on fire in her. She didn't know how much she had longed for him. She put her arms around his neck and forced him to kiss her slower. She was tired, after all. But how she wished she hadn't been! Even though he followed her lead, he was hungry for her.

Suddenly, he laughed and broke the kiss. They breathed in each other's air, their foreheads rested on the other's. "Oh, my little brother was so thoughtful! He's left us alone for a while! Incredible!" He panted. She was thinking about it too. Ludwig gave them time. He know what they felt. He approved it, too. And now, the whole apartment were theirs alone. She felt herself blushing, but she was bursting with joy at the same time.

"Yeah, whatever, thanks, Ludwig. But... we have other things to concentrate on at the moment" She exhaled. Gilbert giggled and let her messing up with his tie and shirt. She quickly found a way to get rid of the tie and unbuttoning his shirt was a piece of cake.

He chuckled and picked her up. She screamed in surprise and he headed to a closed door. She guessed it was his bedroom. _Well, this is quick development!_ But she remembered that according to Ludwig they would leave any day now, and they should have enjoyed their little time together. This might have been their only chance of being together in any way.

He kicked the door open and carried her to his bed. He closed the door and leaned above her. She was amazed that he had further thoughts. She was just a pile of lust...

"Aren't you worried you'll catch a cold from me?" she smiled while taking off his shirt. It landed on the floor.

He shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, right? I didn't care about it before I kissed dich. Only your opinion matters. If you say stop, we stop."

"Shut up," she whispered and pulled him down to her and kissed him. His mouth was rough. This time he didn't held himself back. He propped himself on his arms, but she pulled him down by his muscular shoulders on her. She eagerly pressed her mouth against his.

He embraced her and sat up with her. He slipped his hands under her top and started to explore her body: he caressed her skin, slowly up from her belly then gently stroked her breasts. She felt her nipples stiffen under his touch. Her skin became so sensitive to touch that when he cupped and confidently squeezed them, she groaned in pain and delight. He was grinning. He pulled off her shirt.

Elizabet tried to earn the same effect for him. She combed his hair with one of her hands, making it a mess, while the fingers of the other slowly stroked his back muscles, making him shiver. She broke their kiss and gently blew kisses on his neck and collarbone. Every now and then she bit his creamy white skin. He made a throaty, deep moan and pinned her down on the bed. He leaned to her ear, his mouth brushing it. "You don't play it fairly, do you?" She giggled as an answer.

She knew he was ready to play roughly.

Gilbert gently bit her skin, but the tip of his tongue touched her everytime, making it extremily crucifying for her. She was screaming in joy. "Gil, move on, dammit!" she cried. She had a feeling that he wouldn't. He was still lying on her and pinning her down by her wrists. She was helpless. Gilbert moved his hand to her thighs and she was free. He didn't removed her pants, just slipped his hand under her lacy underwear caressing her most intimate parts, making her moaning loudly. She became wet. But when she gripped his penis through his pants, he gasped and laughed. He took the hint, but didn't let her to tease him like he did to her.

He sat up to remove her shorts and underwear and she unbuckled his trousers. When both of them were naked, they just stared at each other for a minute. She found him beautiful as he was. Gilbert pulled on a condom and looked into her eyes. She nodded and he hungrily pushed her down, as if there was no tomorrow. She threw her head back and cried out in pleasure when he entered her, gripping the sheet under her. She lifted up her hip to make it easier. They soon found their own rythm. He was strong and she let him do the work. He didn't stop when he came.

She scratched his shoulders, leaving red traces all over them, as he thrusted. Her arms dropped. Soonly she let out a delighted cry and fell back, panting. He lay next to her and embraced her. His body was shiny with sweat. She was tired, but she thought she would always be tired if it meant being so calm. He pulled a blanket on them. She thought she fitted perfectly in his arms. She exhaled peacefully and closed her eyes.

"This was awesome," he breathed.

"Gil" she mumbled, half-asleep.

"Hm?" she guessed he was sleepy too. She smiled and put her hands against his torso.

"Don't leave me, please." She was now even sadder than she had been, when she knew she meant something for him too. She couldn't believe how this man had such a dangerous life. She knew by his looks that he didn't like playing safely, but this was too much. "But don't make empty promises. I want to go with you. I'm already in danger, according to your brother."

She almost couldn't make out his reply. It was just a low whisper. "Don't be so crazy, Liz. This is madness." She moaned as an answer, but she didn't know if it was with approval or disapproval. She heard quiet snoring beside her then she fell asleep too.

xXXx

Gilbert escorted her in the morning. They were walking hand-in-hand, like a real couple. She knew they were one, even though they hadn't said it out loud. It was Saturday morning.

"Liz, why don't you have a smartphone?" he asked, when she checked the old mobile.

She shrugged. "No specific reasons, I guess. I just don't feel the need of carrying a whole compact computer with me, when I have my laptop and I only use this one to recieve calls. Which rarely happens."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll buy you one."

She was shocked and wasn't sure if she had heard it right. What would have she done with a smartphone? She wasn't good at typing on such a small keyboard. And it was a big gift. "What? You can't buy me a phone!"

"Oh, yes I can, and I already have." He was grinning as he pulled out a small box out of his bag.

She hesitantly took it and examined the box with care. She couldn't believe this man at all. He was full of surprises and unexpected moves. And this was exactly what she needed. She opened it and a white phone lay in there which was bigger than her old one. "Well, I don't know what to say... Thanks. But why?"

He flashed a snow white smile and spread out his arms. "It was annoying, you know. Here's you, who always cling to your laptop, but don't have a decent phone. And you wouldn't buy one!"

"What's the matter with my phone?" she said, clinging into his arms.

"It wasn't decent."

She rolled her eyes, but she was amused. "Of course, I wouldn't have figured."

Gilbert escorted her home. Elizabet was playing with her keys nervously on her doorstep. Her mind was constantly on something. "Hey, Gil... I know you have to leave, but... do you want to leave?"

Gilbert ran his fingers through his hair hesitantly. She knew he would leave her behind. It was the only rational choice. But again, logic wasn't love's main characteristic. Gilbert put his hands into his pockets. "I don't want to leave you, of course. But... this place is too risky for Ludwig and me. And I don't know how to feel about you being a risk factor... I haven't forgotten what you said yesterday. About coming with us... Liz, are you serious about that?"

Elizabet barely remembered she had said anything like that, but as he mentioned it, it all came back. She wasn't so sure in herself now. The Beilschmidts are wanted. She is just a lone girl, but maybe those who chased the brothers would find her an interesting source of information. She'd have liked to deny this. "Depends... what do you think is safer for me?"

Gilbert clicked with his tongue and scratched the back of his head. He nervously breathed a chuckle. "Probably if you stayed here... oder I want to keep an eye on you badly..." he sighed. "Stay. That's the best solution for us. I'll watch over you."

She was slightly disappointed about his decision. She secretly hoped he would insist on bringing her with them, however, she was relieved too. Her life was monotonous, yes, but she wasn't mad to choose danger over comfort. She hugged him tightly. "Okay. I believe you."

He kissed Elizabet softly and exhaled a low 'Danke' into her mouth. She knew it was important for him, for she had had trust issues about his job and whole personality. It hadn't gone completely though. Her common sense told her it was better not to trust him completely, but she ignored the thin voice. "We'll leave tomorrow morning." She nodded.

Gilbert promised to say goodbye to her in the morning, then left.

Elizabet threw herself on her bed and stared at her ceiling. It was stained with who knows what. She covered her eyes with her forearm, thinking about last night and blushed.

She had forgotten about her promised letter to Feliks, but she should have remembered it. Of course, she had no idea why that would have been important.

* * *

 **A/N: So, happy New Year, guys and thanks for reading! I specifically don't really celebrate it, but you go:D**

 **Hopefully, this chapter wasn't too... hm, spicy for you, but I enjoyed writing it, so sorry x3**

 **I'm also sorry for my foolish grammatical mistakes, I know I have them. So if you notice anything, just write it and I'll fix it.**

 **Have a good day:D**


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe you are so fucking stupid!" Braginsky was banging his fists on his desk as he yelled with Feliks. Toris stood slightly behind Feliks. He didn't mind that he was hiding behind him. Toris always did this when someone scolded them. The only difference was this time that Toris had told this fact to Braginsky. "Why didn't you use an alias, like you're supposed to?" His voice filled the small room and Feliks thought that everyone was standing outside, listening to their 'conversation'.

"I told you it's not a good idea," Toris whispered to him silently. Feliks ignored his voice.

Feliks didn't try to apologize. Not to Braginsky. "She's harmless. She doesn't even know my job! She's only seen my face twice. The girl certainly knows the Axes. We have proof. And she haven't gave us up." He glanced back at Toris. He couldn't look into Feliks's eyes. "So will you let us to go to catch them, till we can, or what?" he shouted in Russian. They hadn't done such a thorough research on this information, but both of them were certain.

They stared at each other until Braginsky hissed. "Fine." Feliks nodded and turned on his heels and walked out without saying anything more.

This conversation took place right after Lizzie rushed to Gilbert. He wondered what happened.

"This went better than I had expected," Toris exhaled with relief. Feliks didn't answer him. He was still angry with him, and his reasons for it were growing day by day. He knew they needed to talk, but he couldn't bring himself to it. He would probably shout at his partner, and Toris would turn into a whiny mess. He had been considering breaking up with him. They would still work together, but Feliks wouldn't have to worry so much about his decisions.

Toris had told Braginsky about Feliks being in touch with Lizzie, without using any aliases. He hadn't told him that that she knew his name too. But Feliks wasn't afraid of Braginsky, and wasn't vengeful for something so insignificant.

"Toris. Don't make me angrier." Toris lifted an eyebrow. Did he know why was he venomous? Feliks was beyond the point of caring. He wanted Toris to figure it out by himself. "Go home and pack. We'll meet at the my house an hour later. Bring money and fake papers," with this, he left the puzzled Lithuanian alone.

xXxx

He packed their luggage into an unobserved car without saying a word. They needed to travel by car, for they would might need instant opportunity of transport. He carefully hid their illegal things: pistols, ammunition, maps... all of them landed under a pseudofloor in the truck, under a blanket. They had guns in their reach, too.

He had to endure an almost twelve hours long journey with Toris. He was glad it was dark.

Toris was the first to drive. They would switch when they got near to the Slovakian border. Feliks treated those stressful moments better, even though he was still a bit scared of strangers. No one knew when the guards wanted to check every inch of the car or just let you go. Toris usually had control over critical moments in work, but there had been occassions when Feliks had had to save their asses.

Why did he love Toris?

Feliks leaned against the window and watched him as he was driving. Yes, Toris was handsome. Even with the circles around his eyes. Feliks had them sometimes too. Toris was wearing a navy blue sweater. It was a gift from Feliks for his birthday one or two years ago.

There wasn't any music playing in the car. Toris didn't like listening to the music while driving, he had said. Feliks couldn't understand that. He always sang along with the singer, when it was his turn. And it made them less suspicious.

His mind wandered. His first thought was Lizzie. What music did she like? They talked about many things, but none of them had brought up music as a topic. But it was so casual and obvious question that they might have avoided it unconsciously because of this. What was she doing? Is she all right? If that bastard hurt her... Well, he intended to kill him anyway, but then he would have a good reason besides the revenge of his father.

Lizzie had told him that she had feelings for this Gilbert. Suddenly a strike of guilt hit him. He was going to destroy her love. Then a reassuring thought came to his mind. If he would be dead by Beilschmidt, Gilbert would kill one of Lizzie's best friends. He wasn't even sure if she had other friends beside the two of them.

But he still felt strangely. He had never thought that those people he had killed had had friends and families. He had never thought that they had been once sons and fathers, daughters or lovers. There must have been kids like Feliks. Their family had been destroyed by an assassin. And he was that assassin.

He didn't want to do this anymore. He gulped, clenched his fist and put it to his mouth. His throat was tight and he was breathing shallowly. His whole life seemed pointless. He made orphans. Widows. He remembers all too well what it had been like to be filled with agony and grief.

Toris glanced at him, then looked at the road again. He was a careful driver. "What's wrong, Feliks?"

Feliks blew out air shakily. He closed his eyes to gain control over his body and mind. "Hey, Toris... Have you ever... have you ever thought about the life of those families whose members we killed?"

Toris shook his head, his expression was almost terrified. Feliks thought he was going to pull over and stop. He didn't. "You mustn't think about this, Feliks. You hear me? Musn't. I did a few times when I got here and I regret it. I still feel crappy when I complete a job. You don't want to feel it."

Feliks nodded in understanding. He knew that. He remembered that he might have said this to Toris once. But despite the logical reasoning, he was still wondering. This would be his last job either way. He just wanted to take revenge and he had become quite good while preparing for it.

Another unpleasant, but real imagine flashed before his eyes. What if Lizzie found out what was he? What if she found out it was a big, fat lie all along? He didn't think she easily trusted in people. She had been honest, while he was a professional liar.

This would be a life-changing last job.

He shook himself and returned back to reality. He needed to talk with Toris. But he wouldn't. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

xXXx

Toris poked his side. Feliks jumped a little, his glanced wandering sleepily to Toris. "Is it my turn already?"

Toris seemed astonished. "Already? I've been driving for almost six hours! We're at the Slovakian border within half an hour."

Feliks rubbed his eyes leisurely and stretched out his limbs. "Pull over at a petrol station. I need to pee and tank the car. Then we switch, okay?" Toris nodded and did so.

When Feliks returned from the toilet, Toris had already tanked the car. He also bought a few energy bars, even though they had plenty of food.

He threw one to Feliks. "For the trip feeling," he explained. Feliks shrugged and ate it with two bites. He also ate a sandwich to have enough energy for the second half of the journey. As soon as he got in the driver seat, he turned on the radio. Ewelina Lisowska's voice filled the car. He was singing with her, when he heard a groan from his side.

"Why her? Please, turn it off!"

Feliks smirked and shot and said to Toris without turning to him. "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole!"

This made Toris groaning again, but louder this time. He covered his face with his hands. "For the love of...! Stop quoting Supernatural!"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Feliks giggled. He knew he was going to grab every chance to drop quotes.

Soonly they got the the border. Both of them were a little nervous when the immigration officers looked into their papers for a long time, but Feliks remained completely calm. Eventually they let them through.

It was the same at the next. They were in Hungary. Feliks let out a relieved breath. It was just one and a half hour to get to Budapest and a few more minutes to find Lizzie.

"Have von Bock had any success?" Feliks asked Toris refering to the whereabouts of the Germans.

Toris shook his head. "I could have figured. Hey, are the Beilschmidts even here?"

That was a good question. Since his last chat with Lizzie, he had no information about her. Toris was happier than Feliks when it turned out that Lizzie was in love with Gilbert. Strange. It seemed that Gilbert and Agent Axe were two different people, but apperently, they are the same. Still, he thought that Gilbert was a lucky boy, who earned Lizzie's love, while Beilschmidt, or Axe, was the son of the man who failed to protect his father.

Feliks thought she must have written if anything important had happened. Did she know the truth about the man she was in love with? He would have been glad for both answers. If the answer was no, then he would have told himself that at least he wasn't the only one who concealed his true identity before her. And if yes, he would have been glad that he wasn't a liar. He hated to have such ambivalent feelings about this case.

"I haven't felt any buzz from my phone, but please, check it. It's in my right pocket." Toris pulled out the phone and accidently touched a ticklish part of his tight. He almost crashed into something. "Toris! Carefully! You know I'm ticklish!" he scolded.

Toris smiled while he checked Feliks's phone."Oh yeah, I have to wait till we're in the bedroom. I get it," his smile widened as he played with the thought a bit. "I'm gonna-"

"Phone!" Feliks said firmly, his face hot and red. However, he liked his thinking. But duty first.

Toris just shrugged. "Okay, okay. Ah, you've got nothing from her yet," he said with pretebded disappointment, then tucked the phone back, resting his hand on his leg, while checking his own mobile. "And it's the same for me, I'm afraid."

Feliks was disappointed a little. She had been so worked up when she had left! Maybe she had stayed the night... That would have been quick, but quite possible. He bet Lizzie was a passionate lover. It was still early. Maybe she was sleeping. Students loved sleeping in on weekends. They were tired.

"We can't do anything without that information. We need to know that. You need to ask her," said Toris. _I need to ask Lizzie. Need to. We need the information. Toris needs me to betray our friendship._ "Would you write an e-mail?"

He was hesitant for a moment and said a weak excuse. "I'm driving."

"I know. You can dictate and I can write. Or if you don't trust me on this, pull over and write it." Toris didn't let this slip away. Feliks sighed and pulled over. He took out his phone and wrote.

" _Lizzie,_

 _You ran off so suddenly yesterday! Are you alright? You went to him, didn't you? So, did anything happen?;)_

 _Please, report, Captain:D_

 _Love,_

 _Feliks"_

Feliks knew it was short, more like a note rather than a letter, but he didn't want to seem too interested. It was her private life after all. She might say something more definite, but maybe nothing had happened and she was crying in her bed at that moment.

He felt dirty for those two smileys. They didn't belong to the letter. Not when he knew its purpose.

Toris rolled his eyes. "Awh, come on! It's just a letter, man!"

Feliks though what could he bring up as an example. "It's almost the same as if someone asked you to give information about a friend of mine. I wanted to said lover, but you're mine, so it wouldn't make any sense, and-"

"Stop babbling!" Toris interrupted him. "It's not the same. Beilschmidt is your opponent. Period. It's just an unfortunate turn of events that he's Lizzie's what, lover? Friend? Whatever he is to her. Now, drive on, please, and concentrate. Okay?" Feliks didn't have another choice, so he drove.

Toris couldn't understand this. How could he? Even Feliks wasn't sure what was he doing.

Soonly they were in Budapest. They wasn't familiar, so firstly they looked for a motel to stay. It wasn't hard to find one in the busy metropolis. They asked a room with two beds, so no one would assume that they were a couple. They could piece them together. It was a good basic of their cover too. Toris got a fake wedding ring, so people assumed he was married and Feliks wasn't. They knew Hungary was more tolerant about queers than Poland, but they didn't want to risk unnecessary hostility. They would be careful.

Toris made himself comfortable on his bed and closed his eyes to rest a little. Feliks checked his phone. Still no answer. He had brought his laptop and he turned it on, in case she called. Fortunately the place had free wi-fi for guests. And every floor had a router, so it wasn't too slow either. He turned up the volume of his phone to hear any notification.

Toris was lightly snoring. He fell asleep. He could never sleep in car. Sometimes he had nausea from it. He was still fully clothed, his legs hanging off from the edge of the bed. He must have been tired. He decided to bring up their suits from the back of his car.

When he got back and put the clothes in the closet, Toris was awake. "Did I wake you up?"

He let down his hair and shook his head. It was a bit bushy. "You didn't. I just can't sleep. You can"t either. I'm glad you got some rest in the car." Feliks looked at the laptop. "Don't worry, still no answer from your friend." He walked up to Feliks and fondly kissed him.

"Toris, you need to sleep," Feliks broke the kiss. The Lithuanian rolled his eyes and sealed their mouth together again. This time Feliks let him. He felt Toris smile in the kiss. He sticked his tongue into Feliks's mouth.

Toris slowly led him to a bed and shoved themselves on it. Feliks landed with a soft thud, his hair lying around his head like a glory. Toris's brown tufts made a veil. His eyes glowed with passion. Feliks smirked to himself. Hadn't he been successful with that Russian psycopath? _Hah, serves you right!_ He should have made him suffer a little, but he couldn't bring himself to it. He needed his affection now more than ever in the past months. Feliks needed to get his conscience off his mind.

Feliks tucked Toris's hair behind his ear, which he responded with covering his hand then his arm with kisses. He found the flannel on Feliks annoying, so he took it off then his sweater had the same fate. Toris gently licked his throat, chill ran down on Feliks's spine and tilted back his head as much as he could. It electrified him. Their fingers curled together as they tried to devour each other.

They hadn't showed their love in any way for two weeks. They were too frustrated. Both of them needed distraction. Feliks's mind was blank. His only thought was the man on him. His weight on him, his smell, which reminded him of the scent of fireplaces, his affection and him in general.

Feliks pulled Toris closer and embraced him. His fingers ran up and down the Lithuanian's back. Up and down. Up and down. Toris shivered from the touch. Feliks could feel it. He removed his undershirt. Toris's torso was well sculpted. He felt blood rushing down to his lower body. He licked his mouth and bit Toris's mouth. He knew it didn't hurt him. Toris loved it. He pressed himself against Feliks as much as he could and moaned loudly when the Pole sucked the skin on his collarbone, leaving small red marks.

Feliks could barely get to breathe and was panting heavily. Toris didn't let him. Their chests were covered in salty sweat. Feliks thought it made Toris appear more confident and eager than before. His hair sticked to his forehead. Toris was lying on him completely and he felt him unbuckling their trousers. _It was time, dammit!_ His erection felt really uncomfortable. He helped Toris pulling their pants off.

Then an electronic ring rang out. He looked at his computer. Lizzie was calling him. Toris didn't seem to care, he turned back Feliks's head and kissed him, while his other hand was busy to get stripped.

Feliks turned his head away so little that he could still feel the warmth of the other's breath. "Toris, we have to answer this. At least I do," he panted. He would rather do this, especially when they were so close. It was the worst time for her to call, but this was their work.

Toris touched his lips with his and said, "No, you don't. We're busy."

"We're working!" He pushed him down and stood up to dress up properly. Toris watched him. "Come on, dress up, man!" He threw Toris's sweater to him. Feliks quickly buttoned his shirt then combed his hair while tried to catch his breath. Lizzie ended the call. She had assumed that he was busy. At least he had a little more time to make themselves acceptable. Especially the stubborn Toris. He dressed up slowly on purpose. Feliks sighed and turned the laptop, so Toris would be out of frame.

When they were ready, Feliks called Lizzie back. She answered it immediately.

She seemed alright. She even seemed fresh and peachy, but he had the feeling that she hadn't slept too much last night. She raised and eyebrow when she looked at him. "Hey! Did I interrupt something?"

"No," "Yes," their answer rang out at the same time. Lizzie realised the situation and her face got a little rosy coloured.

She looked away then back. "Well, sorry then. I've just seen your letter and thought you'd be happier if I called." She looked around. "Is Toris there?" Feliks checked if Toris was dressed then turned the webcamera in his direction. He was hot, so he was only wearing his white undershirt. The man waved to her as a greeting. He wasn't very friendly.

Feliks turned back the laptop. "Don't worry, he's just a little overreacting. Do you want him to go out?"

"Thanks," said Toris crisply.

They ignored him. "I don't think that's necessary, but maybe he's not interested in my... private life."

Feliks shot a glance to Toris who understood it. If he stayed, it would seem strange. He needed to go. "Girl, you're right. Call me when you finished. I'll take the car," he swiftly dressed up. "Bye," he closed the door.

"Okay, now it's just the two of us. Tell me everything!" He said with interest.

She nervously laughed. "Well, you don't want to hear literally everything."

He was right. They had sex. "Then censor it! Spare me from the dirty details!"

Lizzie shook her head lightly. "I went to Gilbert's apartment. I started to argue with him about the letter and he said that he and Ludwig wanted to leave yesterday evening." Feliks was truly shocked, his heart beating loudly. Had they made it in time? "Even Ludwig said it was a stupid idea to leave me with a letter. We started to interrogate Gil, then he kissed me! I was sick yesterday, and it was too much, so I fainted. When I woke up, Ludwig left us alone..." She looked away, chuckling. "I think you can guess what happened..."

"Oh, come on! Say it, Lizzie, it's not embarrassing. You two had sex. Or made love. Or did the frickle-frackle. Whatever you want to call it." Lizzie laughed at him. "I guess you stayed over for the night."

She nodded. "Yeah... They will leave tomorrow morning for Poland, to visit a family member, maybe...? I don't remember..." Oh, she did! A liar recognises lies, and it was one. In addition a bad one. Maybe the first part about his country was true... He's not rude to her, at least. Oh, if only she knew she had made their work easier with her love!

"That's very unfortunate... You've told me so little about him, and it seems to me that you fell for him suddenly. Like one day he's a nameless German, but on the next you confess your love..."

She streched out her arms. "Okay, you're right here. He says he's Prussian. He's... he's a cop. And it's so strange! And those German names! What kind of name is Beilschmidt?" she giggled. "I think it means axe smith..." Feliks's heart skipped a beat. Gilbert and Ludwig Beilschmidt are still here. They had almost one day. "Feliks, you okay? You look so pale!"

He had to get himself together. He couldn't just leave her here. He needed to converse normally. Like the name meant nothing to him. He coughed one. "Yeah, I'm fine. But who's this man? Oh, what if he's a fifty years old geezer?" he grinned.

Lizzie groaned with disgust. "Ugh, this is disgusting, Feliks! He's 25! Why would I be in romantic relationship with a man, who could be my father?"

Feliks shrugged, trying to seem careless, while his mind was working insanely to put a plan together. "Father-complex."

"But I don't have it!" She was laughing. Feliks wanted to hear this face to face. "And how are you? Have you made up with Toris?"

Feliks rubbed his neck. Their partnership seemed complicated. "I wouldn't say that... We still haven't talked about anything. I'm not even sure he knows why I'm mad."

Lizzie was nodding compassionately. "I see... but you should talk it out," she looked a little puzzled for a moment. "Wait, if you're not made up... then why were you two... you know...?" She tried to gesture it with her hand hopelessly.

Feliks laughed. She was so innocent in certain topics. She was in her twenties, a grown-up woman, yet she couldn't bear the thought of making love. "Yes, I know what you're trying to say, and to be honest, I don't know why. Maybe the tension," they were more likely in the mood when they were on a job. Especially when it was dangerous.

"I see..." she mumbled again. "And where are you? No offense, but the room doesn't seem to be your bedroom..."

Feliks looked behind him. That was true. She could see the two beds and the peeling walls. "We're in a motel. We decided to go to a holiday earlier this year. We're in Budapest."

Her eyes widened and he could hear a soft and whispered 'Oh my God'. "Really? You're... You're here? I can't believe it! And where are you? Where do you plan to go?"

They hadn't decided what to do after the job. They would stay a few days maybe. Feliks had read a few leaflet about famous places in the city, and had a few things he wanted to see one day. "Oh, we plan to visit many places. Today we just chill out here, you know. The way from Poland was very long and took out a lot from us."

Lizzie seemed to understand it. "Hey, if you need a travel guide, you know where to find me."

"No, I don't. I won't have my laptop with me always. I don't know where you live or what your phone number is... You don't need to tell me, I just said." Feliks shrugged. They had already knew everything about her. Eduard was thorough. He had two intentions with the implication. He knew she was going to tell him these, and then he can visit or phone her whenever he liked. The other was pure business. With the phone calls, they can detect the places where she used them. He bet she went to Gilbert as much as she could.

"Okay, but I'll tell you them. I want you to know it. I trust you." Then she dictated her adress and number. Without asking these she would have wondered about how had they known them. And with Beilshcmidt on her side, it would have been harder to talk it out. Auch. Trust was a fragile creature. Only if she knew the truth! He wanted to tell her. It was his only desire. However, they had usable information.

"Thanks, Lizzie."

Lizzie looked around impatiently. Feliks furrowed his brows. "Do you have to go?"

She laughed. "Yeah, actually, Gilbert is going to come here any minute now and I have to dress up more elegantly. He'll take me out for lunch, you know..."

Feliks was glad to hear this. She had decent dates with him. "What restaurant? I'm kind of interested them, you know. Maybe I'll take Toris if it's good. Not now, though... we have other plans." He picked up his old phone with buttons and texted Toris to come for him while he was speaking.

"Kék Bálna. It means blue whale. I've never been there, but Gil said their seafood is delicious. I'd rather eat something with less fish, though..."

Feliks smiled softly, but he was screaming inside. Those Germans had only talent for messing things up. "I'll let you getting ready then. Have a good date!"

She thanked him and hung up.

Feliks ran to their wardrobe for the suits and ran out of the motel, only his laptop and phones with him. Toris arrived moments later and opened the door for Feliks. He jumped in and typed in Lizzie's adress into the GPS. "She said they are going to a fancy place. I'll check it on the net. Hopefully suits aren't required."

Toris drove as fast as he could without being caught for going too fast. They were heading for Lizzie's apartment. Feliks was reading the restaurant's page. "Kék Bálna is fancier than I have thought! We need to suit up, if we want to get in. But Lizzie knows us... We should get ourselves a little redecorating..."

"Wigs and stuff are in the back of the car. Can you get them from the seats?"

Feliks nodded, unbuckled himself and tried to do the smaller acrobat trick. He eventually reached a bag labeled with the Lithuanian word for accessories. He sat back into his seat. "I think I'll be a ginger!" he pulled out a red wig.

He tied up his hair and put some clips in it too. He put up the red mop and tried to make it somehow believable in the driving mirror next to him. "I don't think red hair is a good choice, Feliks. It's too flashy..."

Feliks didn't mind that. "I found a black cap. It's good. Matches with my coat. What accents can you do?"

Toris thought for a moment. "Russian, Polish and French. Why?"

Feliks dug his hand into the bag and pulled out a blondish wig. It was almost brown. "Because now you'll be a Frenchman, called...

"Gerard. I have papers for Gerard. He's blond."

"Oh, cool! As soon as we can, we transform you a bit. I'll be Alastair, a fine Scotsman. It's a pity I don't have a kilt..."

"Since when can you do a Scottish accent? You can't even speak English without Polish accent! You don't even have IDs for Alastair... You have for Jeremy McMahon... But everyone hears that you have Eastern accent..."

Feliks stared at him for a long moment. "You know how to end someone's fun! Killjoy."

Toris sighed. Feliks knew his concerns and points were real, but Feliks had a hard time accepting the job's hardships. He wanted to enjoy it as much as it was possible with the given circumstances. "Okay, what more did she said?"

"The brothers will leave tomorrow morning. She said no definite hour. They'll probably go to Poland. She said he's a cop, but she was hesitating, so maybe she knows the truth."

Toris nodded. "That's enough, I think. We have plenty of data. Maybe he knows we're after them or they know some assassins or organization up there." Toris stopped on the corner of a street where they saw multiple buildings with more than five floors. "We're here. We have to find a place where we can see them regardless of where they are heading."

Feliks dropped the sack with the accessories into Toris's lap and checked the place for a spot for hiding. He soonly found a low rooftop of a garage. "You'll dress up properly and I'll wait for you on that rooftop." He stepped out of the car, tucking a gun under his jacket, then turned back. "Oh, and put on glasses! I've seen a few in there. I like glasses," he said playfully with a wink.

Toris pressed his mouth softly against his for a moment. "Stop it. Climb that roof!"

Feliks smiled and jogged there. He looked around then climbed up on the small holes in the wall. The roof was flat and it had a thirty centimeters tall edge. Feliks searched the wall for a hole to look out of it. He was lucky to find one leak. Probably they wouldn't notice the two of them from that distance, but they couldn't be careful enough.

He heard noises under him, then a thump and a muffled moan. Feliks pressed his lips together. "Toris you should learn how to sneak qui-et-ly!"

A blond head appeared beside him. "I'm Gerard, you idiot. Who are you?" His accent was hot. It sounded like Toris, but on the other hand, it didn't sound like him at all. It was exciting.

He came up with a name. "I'm Igor Sarayevich." Both of them searched the building for signs of Axe and Lizzie. "I say let's speak in Lithuanian."

Toris rubbed his eyes under the black framed glasses. "You don't have Russian alias... And why Lithuanian?" he asked in... Lithuanian.

"I've just come up with a name. And I speak Russian perfectly. I'll just won't do anything that requires identifying myself. Or I'll just use another papers. I could still have Polish name if I grow up in Spain. My parents could be immigrants. And about Lithuanian... Very little Humgarians can speak it. Or at least it is the least popular language among the ones we know."

Feliks was amused. Everything seemed the usual, however, nothing was according to order. They teased each other, but Feliks was still angry, they were on a job, but this would be Feliks's last and most difficult one.

When there was no movements from the targets Toris gave voice to his doubt. "What if we're late? What if they have already left?"

Feliks pulled out his phone out of his jacket's pocket. "That's quite possible. Now watch the building while I'm writing."

Toris nodded dutifully.

 _"How's the date going? Is the food good? F."_ He sent it and waited for an answer. It came ten minutes later.

 _"Ahw, come on! We couldn't even get going! We've been busy doing other stuff. We'll just go to Gilbert's apartment and eat with Ludwig. Gotta go. E."_

Feliks grinned. Oh, that naughty girl! "They are going to the Beilschmidts' to eat. They'll go any minute now."

Toris was nodding. "So what's the plan?"

"The what?"

Toris covered his mouth and shook his head. "I hope you're not trying to say that we don't have a plan."

Feliks gasped and put his hand on his chest. "What? Never!" He chuckled and dropped the act. "Okay, you got me. We'll wait for the opportunity. It will come." He loved being spontaneous. With no plan, no one could find out what he was up to. There was no information to found. It filled his veins with adrenaline.

People went and came by, but there was nothing about their couple. Toris became itchy again. He shifted his weight and changed position, streched out his legs and did everything to annoy Feliks. "Would you stop moving so much?"

"But what if they won't leave? What if the have already did, but we just didn't notice them? What if-" Feliks put his hand firmly on Toris's mouth and pointed to the pavement where Gilbert and Lizzie were walking hand-in-hand.

"What if they are in front of us?" He chuckled and jumped off the roof, bursting with energy.

It was time for action.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for staying this far:D I'm more and more excited about the outcome (it maybe almost as much of a surprise for me as for you, I have little plan)**


	7. Chapter 7

Elizabet clinged onto Gilbert's arm as they walked down the streets. She was happy to be by his side. As far as she could tell, both of them needed affection equally. Both of them was lonely. But he was an extraordinary person and sometimes certain traits of his were much for her, but that unpredictable personality caught her attention. She knew she was an ordinary girl with enough determination to go to the lectures as often as it was possible. Maybe Gil needed something -or someone- calm or peaceful to get his mind off things.

And Elizabet was glad to be a distraction, especially that it had benefits for her too.

Sadly, that was their last day together.

"Are you sure we can't meet up with Feliks? Toris, his boyfriend, is here too! We could have a double date after lunch! It would be great!" She was enthusiastic about the meeting of the four of them. It was a rare chance that all of them was in the same place. Probably there wouldn't be an opportunity like this soonly.

Gilbert didn't answer for a moment, he was thinking. "Liz, no offense, but... I don't really want to meet them right now," he squeezed her hand. "It's our day together!"

Elizabet nodded in understanding, but she was disappointed too. She just wanted her friends to meet, although it looked like that Gilbert didn't like the idea. Maybe he couldn't stand homosexuals...She hoped this wasn't the reason. "Okay, I see... But who knows when will we have the chance ever again? I mean, I'm not forcing you..." She wondered if other methods worked on him, but apperently, Gilbert decided this permanently.

"Then we won't meet today. Period. I don't want it, you're not forcing me. You can meet with them tomorrow..." he seemed to realise something, for he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, fuck. I don't want you to meet with strangers alone..." He looked puzzled.

She grinned. She forgot about this old rule about meeting with someone for the first time. She thought she was an adult now and had pushed these childish things out of her mind. Gilbert knew what parents told their kids. Maybe he had lectured Ludwig sometimes. She could even imagine that it was Ludwig who reminded his brother sometimes. She pictured it, and it was a hilarious scenario: the tall, rebellious light-haired German with his strict, rule-respecter little brother who told him what was right.

"So? What will it be then?" she hated that she used this to her advantage, but it was her dream at the moment. She never really had had any friends, but she had a few now.

"Wait a minute," Gilbert said, walking past a vivid green building. He put a finger on his lips. "Did you say their names are Feliks and Toris?"

"Why, yes, of course I did." Gilbert looked very focused and he muttered their names under his breath, like a chant. He was so into his thoughts, that Elizabet had to pull him back to the pavement, when he had almost walked in front of a car. She waved her hands before his face, trying to catch his attention. "Hey, Gil, are you with me? Why is it so important?"

He shook himself and grabbed her shoulders. "Is Toris Lithuanian?"

Elizabet was surprised. Did he guess it? Why was his nationality so significant? "He is... I think."

"What are their last names? Have they told you?" He tried to hurry her with more and more questions, but these just fed her feeling of pressure. His eyes were glowing with hunger for that knowledge. The wind blew his hair backwards and the dim light of the sun through the clouds shone from behind him, giving him a powerful and somehow scary look.

Elizabet tried to recall if they had ever share that. In her mind, she reread their emails. Gilbert was concerned and tense. She wanted to help him, but his tension infected her as well. She had no clue about what the importance of their name was. "I have no idea... I think we never talked about it... We saw no point in it, maybe... But tell me, why the hell is it important?"

Gilbert released her and looked away, rubbing his face. He licked his mouth and shook his head. "Why would you meet with someone who is a complete stranger?" He put a finger on his lips. "Okay, that's not completely true, because you talked with him, but if I'm right, you don't want to meet the Pole. You don't even know his full name! What if Feliks is a serial killer or something?"

She sighed. He couldn't be serious. "Really? The serial killer talk? Don't you think that I'd have noticed something in the papers about him if it were true? Gilbert, I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself. I want you to remember this, okay?" She was sure he was joking, but his face remained serious.

Gil sighed wearily. He held up his index finger and started looking for something in his pockets. Elizabet shifted her weight and folded her arms. After a couple of moments he pulled out his phone and called someone. "Hallo, Ludwig! I'd like to ask you about the Łukasiewicz file... Could you find it for me till we get there?" He didn't switch to German on purpose. He wanted her to know what he said to his brother. "Yeah, okay. Danke." During the whole call he kept eyecontact with her. After he talked with his brother, he carelessly ruffled her hair which became shaggy. "Let us go and have lunch!" He said cheerfully.

Again the sudden mood swing... It was as unexpected as the changing of the weather. And just as annoying.

She couldn't put her finger on what caused it. Elizabet found Gil's happiness too pretended to believe it. He had the vibe that he tried to be in a good mood before something unpleasant. Silence before the storm, or something like that.

"Łukasiewicz? Who's that?" She asked as they crossed the road. _Do I want to know this?_ Gilbert was whistling a song, which sounded like an old children's melody to her. Maybe it was.

"If I'm right, you'll see," the corner of his mouth curled up. "And if that's the case, then those guys are so fucking idiots!" His smile widened. She found his out of the blue joy a bit uncanny. Elizabet wasn't sure anymore of his thoughts. She found Gilbert too hard to understand at that moment. Was he hiding something from her? No, he clearly wanted to show her something. That's it. Gilbert was strangely excited.

When they arrived to the small apartment, Ludwig was surrounded by a pile of paper, but all of them was neatly placed by the couch. He was wearing smart clothes as usual. Ludwig was a man of work. The smell of freshly made food filled the air and when she stepped in the living room, she saw steaming food on the cooker. The table was already set for three. Was he a good cook?

"Yo! Did you find them?" Ludwig nodded and handed a thick, yellow folder. Gilbert quickly leafed through it, then opened it in the front. He showed it to Elizabet. She curiously glanced into it. She was confused when she saw a picture of Feliks at the top of the page. She tried to make out something from the text around it, but it was in German and she couldn't figure out the meaning very much.

"What is this?" She turned over the pages with growing curiousity however she feared that she wouldn't like the answer. She heard her blood pumping in her ears as if someone played the drum rhytmically. Did she wanted to hear the answer?

Ludwig frowned in protest. "I don't understand, Gilbert... Why are you showing it to her? It's private. She has nothing to do with it." _I agree with you there. We want answers, Gil. As always._ She wondered if Gil liked to surprise people with his random acts, though Ludwig migh have got used to his randomness.

Gilbert threw himself on the sofa, peeling off his warm jacket. "Why can't we discuss this after lunch? Let's eat the food while it's nice and hot. There's nothing better than Ludwig's roasted chicken with smashed potatoes, believe me," he told Elizabet convincingly. Her stomach groaned. She had learnt that as a university student she couldn't just deny free food, but Gilbert ignited a desire inside her for knowing what the whole thing was about and she was determined to get answers.

Ludwig looked at Elizabet briefly then back to his brother with an annoyed expression. "Then why couldn't this wait until we finished eating? And I haven't made any roasted chicken. It would be too much for three people for one meal." Ludwig was eager to know the answers as well. She liked his rational thinking.

Gilbert took Elizabet's coat and hung it on the coat rack leisurely. "At least you have something to think while you're eating! Isn't that amazing?" He spreaded out his arms. "I'm always bored when I eat. And we could give the rest of the food to Liz or take it with us, Luddi! Food isn't edible only once!" He flashed a shaky smile and looked away. Elizabet took a deep breath.

"Okay Gil. This is just an excuse or whatsoever, I don't even care anymore why you are so illogical today, so let's just eat and get to it, is that alright, Ludwig? He won't talk till he doesn't know what to say..." She thought Gilbert knew what he wanted to tell, but he wanted to be dramatic, knowing how much of an attention whore he was.

Ludwig nodded and pulled out a chair for Elizabet politely. "I expect you're right. Gilbert, you are very weird today, I hope you know that and actually have a reason for this." Gilbert shrugged and indolently took the remaining seat.

Despite how unusually he behaved, Gil took their hands to say grace. She didn't know the Beilschmidt's were religious, for Gilbert swore like a sailor sometimes and there wasn't a single cross in their apartment. Or maybe she hadn't noticed it. For some reason, she couldn't see a reasonable and logic-centered man, like Ludwig, being a believer. Maybe they were raised up in in.

The meal was delicious and she was ashamed that Ludwig cooked better than her, but there was a heavy tension between them. Gilbert chatted about absolutely ridicoulus things, carefully avoiding the the question they were all interested in, being conscious of the silence of the ohe other two.

Ludwig put down his cutlery with a loud, metally clank and looked at his brother. Elizabet had finished eating about a minute ago as well, although she hadn't eaten much. "Enough of distractions. Why did you show your girlfriend a secret file?" Ludwig's voice froze the blood in Elizabet's veins. His usually warm tone was icecold. She knew she hadn't done anything bad -she didn't speak German to understand what was in those papers after all- but she started sweating.

Gilbert, admitting that he had to answer, sighed. "It's because she knows him. Just like she knows Lauritanis. And it's all because they are the biggest idiots in the world, in all the meaning of the word." He closed his eyes and sat back with delight. "We can end our jobs any minute now. Her Feliks is our Łukasiewicz..."

She shook her head rapidly and put up her hands to stop him. Sh was confused by the names. "And what does this mean, exactly? Who is this Łukasiewicz or whatever his name is... I can't speak German, so what was in the folder?"

Gilbert looked at her, his eyes filled with pity. "What did he say his job was?"

Elizabet didn't like it. She hadd the same feeling when she had to write an exam or present something when she didn't prepare at all, just it was stronger now. Her stomach shrank and her legs got heavy. Her head was light. _Is Gil trying to say that my best friend is a_ liar"Feliks said that he is a waitress in a restaurant and Toris is a cook in the same one. But... I think you're gonna say that this is not true... Who are they then?" Deep inside she wanted to be proved wrong. But deep inside she knew she was right. And she was disappointed in her friend.

Ludwig stood up and collected their plates to do the washing up. The atmosphere was too heavy for him, so he was glad to escape the awkward situation. Elizabet couldn't blame him.

"They are assassins." She dropped her shoulders and bit the inside of her mouth. _Assassins. What?_ "Those, who we are hunting at the moment. Those, who seem to be at our heels. At least I think it's them. We think it's them. But it's just an intuition. Maybe we're wrong. But they can't be far, especially that you said they are here in Budapest-"

In the kitchen, they heard Ludwig drop the dishes into the water with a splash, banged his fist against the counter and his voice rang. He must have dropped a plate, because she heard a loud crash. "Why on Earth didn't you say that until now? Goddamn it!" he appeared in the room, his usually pale face red as a tomato. "And you let us have lunch first! We have to go as soon as possible! Go and pack already, you idiot!" He put his fingers on his nose and took some deep, deep breaths to calm himself down. "Elizabet, please help him for your own good. The sooner we get out, the better it will be." When he called her name, she started a little.

 _What are you afraid of?_

Gilbert rolled his eyes but stood up to do as he was told. Elizabet was still a bit shaken from the sudden change of events and felt the whole world collapsing into itself. First Gilbert lied, now Feliks.

 _Pull yourself together, girl!_

She wanted to hide, but admitted that the blond German was right. "What about I do the washing up and pack the kitchen stuff, while you help Gilbert packing?" All her wish was to be alone for a few minutes.

Ludwig nodded. "That's probably better. Thank you," he stormed away and left her alone with the dishes. Elizabet heard Ludwig speaking German angrily, as if the language itself didn't sound cross enough, then a muffled thud, as the blond's hand landed on Gilbert's scruff.

 _Serves you right, if you didn't tell this to him, Gil._ She knew that he was being unreasonable and reckless, so she questioned his common sense.

She was almost done, for the forks, spoons, knives and other necessary objects had already been packed neatly in a box and she quickly filled it with that day's freshly washed dishes. She closed it and went to help the brothers when her phone rang. She looked at it with confused look on her face.

It was Feliks.

For the first time since she had known him, Elizabet hesitated to answer. Something, an inner barrier didn't let her. She knew who he was, but he had no idea of it. She tended to forget it. What should have she done?

Elizabet walked into Gilbert's room and the boys went silent as they noticed her on the doorstep, the phone still ringing in her hand. "It's Feliks," she stated as a matter-of-fact.

"Give it to me," Gilbert demanded, his hand streched out for the phone he had bought. His face was emotionless, like a mask. Ludwig tilted his head, arms folded. She realised how big they were. They looked rather intimidating than excited as the finale was drawing to a close. This was their game.

She gave in and put the phone into his lover's hand. She leaned against the wall, waiting for developments.

Gilbert shook himself and put on a cheerful face then answered the call. "Yo, Feliks, whaddup?" Elizabet's and Ludwig's eyes met. Ludwig rolled his. He hated when his brother used slang words. Elizabet wearily let a tiny smile conquer her lips and slightly shook her head. The brotherly love between the Beilschmidts was exemplary, even if they were the opposites of each other as far as she could tell.

"She's in the bathroom. I think she's having a shower, maybe...? I can tell Liz if you have any message for her," he nodded and flashed the smile of a predator when his prey is in sight. "Yes, I'm Gilbert. Has she told about me something or what?" He walked to the window and peeked out and put his left hand on his waist. Ludwig silently continued folding clothes, but his attention was on the phonecall. Gilbert's voice suddenly deepened and Ludwig became alarmed. "Oh, you think I'm that stupid, Łukasiewicz? Of course I know who you are and that you know where I am. Do you have any courage to meet us face to face?"

Elizabet gulped. This wasn't going to end up well, she knew. Gilbert turned to her, being as bright as before. "Oh, guess who's back, Feliks! It's Liz! You owe her an explanation." He approached her and handed the phone with determination.

She exhaled, tried to sound and spoke. "Hi, Feliks! I couldn't convince Gil to meet you, sorry..."

"No, it's fine. He's made up his mind. He wants to meet with us," she rested her gaze on Gilbert, who was still standing by the window, peeking out of the light curtains. She heard that Feliks was on the streets, for the background noise was loud.

"Really? What's gotten into him? He didn't tell me this yet. Anyways, I'm glad he thinks this. Where should we meet? Oh, I know very good place to-" Feliks interrupted her in mid-sentence.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie. I lied to you."

She knew it, but it was harder to hear it personally from Feliks. She was concerned about what was about to happen to the five of them. "Lied about what?"

There was a silent moment before Feliks spoke. "About nearly everything, including my job and motive to meet..."

Elizabet rubbed her eyes while Gilbert helped his brother to finish faster. She wasn't a good actress, so she had hard time pretending that she had heard these informations for the first time. It was enough for the first time, all she needed was a revision of it.

"Wait, I still don't understand you... Who are you then?" That was the moment of truth. Feliks had one chance to wash himself clear. She knew who he was and so she was able to detect a lie.

Feliks sighed loudly. "I am a... how should I explain this to you..."

Elizabet cleared her throat. She hadn't planned to reveal that she knew his job, but it would greatly surprise Feliks, she hoped. "Really? Let me help you out a bit. You are an assassin. You kill people for money. Isn't that right?"

Gilbert looked at her, jaws dropped. "Liz, what the hell are you doing? Geez!" He exclaimed loudly and giggled like a schoolgirl. Ludwig nodded approvingly.

It was silence at the other end of the phone. _Bingo. Now I've got you, boy._

"So he told about me...? That kurwa-" He swore.

"Someone had to tell me something. And, unlike you, he told me everything about himself quite early," she didn't want to say that it was still a mistake that triggered the confession, when his brother had wanted to shoot her. But at least he had confessed.

He laughed nervously. "Oh, well, you got me there good. But you see, a man can't say these things out of the blue..."

"Especially when this man wants my boyfriend dead. He's here, as you know, so I might as well put you on speakers." Gilbert made a cross with his arms, but she did it regardless of his gestures. Ludwig was still packing leisurely, but she saw him smiling.

Suddenly, street noises filled the small room. An ambulance just went by him, sirens vailing. Gilbert walked up to the phone to make sure Feliks heard him. He crossed his arms. "Oi, oi Feliks, is you bf with you right now?" He asked in a honeyed voice.

Ludwig cringed and put up his hands. "Bruder, please stop using abbreviations. It's awful." Elizabet nodded in agreement.

Gilbert shrugged. "I do what I want, okay?" Elizabet's arm started to ache so she put down the phone on a shelf. Why was she holding it anyways? "So, where were we? Ah, yes, we were talking about your little fuckboy. So is he there?"

"First of all, I have a name. Secondly, at least I didn't fuck a sick girl," Gilbert turned to Elizabet, disbelief on his face. No, it was almost like betrayal. She nearly burst out laughing when she saw Ludwig dropping the sheet he was folding and awkwardly leaving the room. The last thing he was interested in was Gilbert's love life.

"What? I only hinted things to Feliks, I don't even talk with Toris because he's a dumbass."

"Oh, but you wanted a double date! For Gott's sake, Liz! This ain't a public information you share with your buddies."

Toris whistled. "Oooh, trouble in paradise, right?" Feliks hushed him.

"Could we get back to the topic please?" Elizabet looked at him, waiting for a cultured sign and nodded. Feliks didn't see it though, but the silence was enough for him as a reply. "Okay. So Axe. Is your brother there? See, this is how you ask someone nicely," he added as a sidenote.

Gilbert called Ludwig in. His reply came as a shout.

"Are you done with your private life?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. "Ja, duh. Come back already!"

Ludwig wasn't so sure that it was safe to come back. "So what's the deal?"

Elizabet looked back and forth between the mobile and the brothers. She had heard Feliks talking a few times, but now, when he was talking to the men he wanted to catch, who knows why, his voice became deeper and colder. It was a side she wasn't aware to.

Once his brother was standing beside him, Gilbert spoke. "We want to meet you. Ending this like men. You can't take us from that crappy balcony you're on at the moment. Yes, I seen ya. Do you think people casually climb up and spy on people? With flashy wigs and stuff? I'm pretty sure you followed us here. My question is: from where?" Gil flashed a predatory smile, which was almost like a trademark of his, and looked at the impressed Elizabeth. Was this the reason he had stood beside the window for so long?

There was a loud knock on the door. Gilbert looked at Ludwig, who immediately went to get it.

"Oh, following was easy. Lizzie's apartment was a great spot to keep an eye on you. But you know, Beilschmidt, there is a little problem with your observing skills." Suddenly, Feliks's voice became clear and sounded closely from the front door. And from the phone. "We're _not_ on the roof anymore."

Gilbert was pale on a daily basis, but his face became chalkwhite and his eyes widened in fear.

Elizabet's heart was throbbing against her chest so strongly that she felt every pulse in every inch of her body. This couldn't be good. The vulnerable Ludwig, who was expecting someone innocent against the duo who had planned the sudden visit a while ago.

It was obvious who had an advantage.

The platinum haired German turned around as quickly as he could. Before he could have get moving, Elizabet heard a deafening bang and Ludwig screamed in pain.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading I apologize for updating this late, I was busy (blame school). This included a one week trip to Poland and a note for my Polish readers: Warsaw and your countryside is magnificent and stunning, I hope you are proud of them! (and thanks for the people of Sadowne to make my stay awesome)**

 **Anyway, maybe the next one will be the final chapter. I'm thinking about an epilogue, tho... To be honest, this one little twist at the end was sudden even for me.**

 **I'm not trying to promise you a finale by next week, but I'll try it.**

 **Gooooodbye ^.^**


	8. Chapter 8

Feliks walked towards the apartment door as Gilbert was speaking. Toris already stood there, his back pressed against the wall, his hand gripping the hilt of his pistol. He had abandoned the balcony and walked here on a detour, so he -hopefully- hadn't been seen.

The German's voice was victorious. _Too soon, Beilschmidt_. _Next time, don't count your chickens before they are hatched._ But there wouldn't be next time, he knew.

When he reached the door, he heard him say from inside and from the phone: "We want to meet you. Ending this like men. You can't take us from that crappy balcony you're on at the moment. Yes, I seen ya. Do you think people casually climb up and spy on people? With flashy wigs and stuff? I'm pretty sure you followed us here. My question is: from where?"

Feliks laughed to himself. Despite Toris had been noticed, the power of surprise was still their ultimate weapon. He went to the door and knocked. It didn't matter who was going to get the door. He pulled out his gun. Because he would shoot that someone.

"Oh, following was easy. Lizzie's apartment was a great spot to keep an eye on you. But you know, Beilschmidt, there is a little problem with your observing skills." The knob turned around and the door opened. Ludwig stood there, utterly surprised. _Perfect._ "We're not on the roof anymore."

Feliks aimed and shot accurately. The gun kicked and he was forced to straddle a bit. The bullet sliced the air with the volume of thunder, and went through Ludwig's right hand, depriving him from his ability to wield a weapon. As far as he knew, he was right-handed. The easterners were provident so they had earplugs in, but Feliks still heard the bang clearly.

He cried out in pain, as blood trickled down his fingers and dropped to the floor. He crouched, holding his wounded hand tightly against his chest, shaking and blowing air out loudly.

"Luddy!" Gilbert shouted and turned around. Feliks glanced towards Toris, who understood it. He stepped forward and put his gun against Ludwig's temple. His hands weren't shaking. In fact, he had as firm grip on his weapon as a rock.

Seeing this, Gilbert halted. He walked to Ludwig with his hands in the air. Feliks stepped inside the apartment and closed the door behind them. The platinum-haired man's eyes were defiant, but he didn't dare to do anything. "Luddy, are you alright?" His voice was filled with worry for his brother.

The blond looked up, his face red and sweaty from pain. "Do I look alright to you? I've got shot in the hand!"

Feliks clasped his hands behind his back, because they were slightly shaking. He was nervous and tried to cool down by breathing slowly and forcing the trembling to cease by clenching his teeth. He saw Toris's jaw tremble. Both of them used the same methods to hide their emotions.

Lizzie stumbled to the wounded man, a piece of fabric and basic medical supplies in her hand. She kneeled beside him. "Ludwig! Show me your hand! I just want to help!" she insisted when the man wasn't willing to let her tend it. Her voice was wobbly. She finally started to tend the injury gingerly but her hands were unsteady. Ludwig winced by the touch of alcohol. _She studies medicine, after all, but she's not a professional yet..._

Gilbert saw that his gaze was fixed on his girlfriend and he clearly disliked it. Feliks winked at him playfully. "Don't stare at her! You're disgusting." Gilbert stated and his face twisted into an ugly grimace.

But Lizzie didn't look at him. Not once. And it hurt him. Yeah, of course he understood the situation, however he still wanted to see a straightforward reaction. To Ludwig. To his job. To anything. The silent rage and fear were worse. _Look at me!_

Just when he thought this, she finished bandaging the wound. "Okay, Ludwig, here you go. This must be enough for now, but you should go to a hospital..."

Ludwig nodded and Gilbert kissed her. "Danke, Elizabet." He nodded weakly.

Lizzie stood up and stopped in front of Feliks. He gulped. She still avoided eyecontact, but at least she didn't ignore him utterly. "Feliks. Stop this shit and go home."

Feliks was surprised. He frowned and laughed nervously. This was an answer he wasn't prepared to, not in this content, not in such a calm and cold voice. He folded his arms, his weapon still in hand. "Lizzie, you don't understand. These men caused me a troubled life. They are the reason I do this."

Gilbert snorted as he stood up. "You're fucking joking, right? Don't fool her, bastard! It wasn't _us._ Our _father_ was the one who didn't protect yours, remember? It's not my fault, nor Ludwig's. You know that. Let go of my brother. Now."

"What if I say no?" He spinned the gun in his hand.

Gilbert drew out his weapon and aimed it at Toris. Feliks looked at his partner. Gilbert's gaze was fixated on him, so Toris felt free to let his features express his sudden panic. "Then we'll play 'Who is faster?'. I'm curious about how long Lauritanis will hold on."

Lizzie grabbed Gilbert's arm. "Listen, there's no need to shoot! We have to take Ludwig to a hospital!"

"Elizabet, I'm-" Ludwig tried to distract her. It wasn't effective. She was taught to try and cure people when they were sick or wounded.

"You're fine. I know, but this way you may never use that hand again. The nerves, muscles and bones are all damaged! There is a _hole_ in it! For the love of God, don't try to reduce the size of the problem!" Lizzie now turned to Feliks, her curls flying after her head.

"See? These men... they are innocent. Why are you doing this then?" It almost sounded like _pleading._ No. That couldn't be it. Something was off. _Who am I kidding, my whole life is off._ _Now what?_ An inappropriate thought flashed in his mind. _I disarmed one of them._ He closed his eyes to get back his composure again. It was a terrible pun at a terrible time, but he couldn't help it. Toris would kill him if he knew.

"You wouldn't understand. Men are more vengeful than women..."

He shouldn't have said that. He immediately knew when saw the look on Lizzie's face. She lifted up her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, really? Women can't be vengeful, you say?"

"No, I didn't-" She interrupted him.

"Have I finished talking yet? You are horrible." She spun around to point on everybody else too. Feliks was relieved when her attention drifted away from him. His shoulders fell a bit. "All of you!"

Feliks only noticed a brief flash of Toris's eyes. He curiously looked at him. Toris licked his mouth and changed the grip on his firearm slightly. As if he wanted to fire soon. _Why does he wants to kill Beilschmidt right now? We want time before hell break loose..._

The change of purpose wasn't so obvious to the others. Maybe for Ludwig, but he was in great shock, so he wasn't counted as a force they had to think of. He wanted to know what was inside his head... Badly.

Lizzie stared at Toris, because his gun was in the most critical hands. He wouldn't shoot. He didn't dare with all the attention he was getting. Gilbert would fire back immediately.

Lizzie turned to the albino. "Give it to me."

Then everything happened at the same time...

Toris lifted his arm from Ludwig's head and Gilbert's eyes widened, as he pulled the weapon out of Lizzie's hands. The woman was surprised when the German tried to shove him aside or behind him. Feliks saw who Toris aimed for. "Toris, no!" He yelled as he jumped at his partner. They collided in the corner of the room.

Ludwig shakily blew out air, not realizing the situation.

All was for nothing. The gun fired with a deafening sound and everything was silent and still for a moment. The bullet hit target. Feliks couldn't see who, but heard it stop softly.

After a few seconds his hearing cleared enough to make out muffled and painful groans.

He pushed away Toris to see the others. His heart skipped a beat.

Lizzie was lying on the floor, an ugly red stain fracturing the rug under her.

Gilbert was just as shocked as he was. He stared into the empty air, where Lizzie stood seconds ago. Tears stung his eyes, his vision became blurry. He wiped his eyes and crawled to her.

She was lying on her belly, the bullet had hit her back. Feliks could tell that it was bad. He assumed that it was still in her. There was a great chance that it hit her lung but it didn't kill her, thanks to the chaos a minute ago, so it wasn't a heartshot.

"Lizzie, can you hear me?" He called and gently touched her. A shaky moan was the answer.

Feliks's voice brought Gilbert back from the strange daze and went into protective mode. "Get away from her, moron! Make yourself useful and call a fucking ambulance!"

"Says the man who didn't move for a solid minute..." He muttered under his breath.

"Oi, what did ya just say?" Gilbert yelled, sounding like a wounded animal. He became instable. It was better not to get into a fight with him right now.

Ludwig stood up and put his arm around his brother's shoulder. He was breathing heavily. _I guess this was a big trauma for him._

Feliks pulled out his phone and tried to remember the Hungarian number of the ambulance.

"It's 104, idiot." Ludwig breathed lowly. Feliks rolled his eyes and dialed the said number. He hoped the dispatcher spoke English. Or German. He thought there was no way he knew Polish or Lithuanian.

"Hello, we've got two wounded people on our hands here."

He was relieved when the reply was in English. "I see, where?" But the man sounded as if he didn't believe that Feliks was in Hungary. He jabbered the answer, but his accent became so thick and his words so fast that the dispatcher asked him to repeat it slower.

"They have been shot. One of them is desperately wounded. She's been shot in the back. Maybe the bullet hit her lung... She's half-conscious. She's in her twenties and Hungarian... The other one is a German man shot in the hand. There's a hole in it. He got first aid. He's just shocked, but he's walking and talking... Please hurry!"

"We'll send an ambulance as fast as we can. Until then, please stay in line or give me a number where we can reach you or you can give us information about any further developments. We are sending policemen as well. Do you know who shot them?" Feliks looked at Toris.

"No. I don't." And he ended the call.

Gilbert was kneeling beside Lizzie and begging for her to hold on until the help arrives. Feliks didn't go to her.

He walked up to Toris.

Meanwhile Toris stood up, but was still in the corner, next to the door. Feliks was about to blow up from all the rage he felt. "You. Little. Piece. Of. Shit." He grabbed his collar and pushed him against the wall. "What the hell have you done?! She's dying! Lizzie is about to die!" He screamed.

Toris looked in his eyes calmly. "I know. That's what I wanted in the first place."

He heard Gilbert beside him. "Oh, you motherfucker!" His gun clicked, but Ludwig stopped him.

"Keep your calm. Let Łukasiewicz take care of this."

"But-"

"Let him!"

Feliks, encouraged by Ludwig, punched Toris in the face. Toris's head barged against the wall, but didn't let Feliks to land another. He gripped his wrists. So he thought that he can only use his hands, huh? Feliks sweeped his legs under him. "Why? She was never a target. So why?"

"She was in the way, that's why! He influenced you and distracked you from your task. Someone had to do something!"

Lizzie coughed and spoke up for the first time. "Don't... argue... Kérlek..." Feliks kicked Toris in the shin and kneeled beside Lizzie.

"It's okay, Liz. I've got you. Ludwig and Feliks are here too... The ambulance is on the way. Hold on, bitte, hold on!" Feliks looked at his face. It was full of emotion, unlike Ludwig's, whose was a cold mask. There were so many expression on it at once that Feliks's brain couldn't process all of them. Gilbert's eyes were teary and a fat teardrop had begun its was down his cheek. His face was red and his shoulders stiff. He was helpless. All of them was.

"Lizzie, we love you. Come back to us. You haven't showed Budapest to me yet, remember? I'm sorry-" He couldn't finish it, his voice broke mid-sentence. He tried to remember a few Hungarian words, which would have been easier for her to understand. But his mind went blank.

"Don't... worry boys..." She turned her head to face Feliks too. Red foam appeared in the corner of her mouth. "Alright?" _When will that goddamned ambulance arrive?_

"We... we need to check her chest... To see if there's an exit hole..." Feliks suggested.

"Ja. You're right...Help me out a bit. But carefully or I'll break your neck!" They gingerly turned her over, but there was no exit hole. They had to turn her back, so she was bleeding slightly slower. Feliks tought it was an absolutely insignificant difference.

She was trembling. "Hey. You still here?"

All of them said yes, except Toris. He never liked her and he would pay for his rushed decision, Feliks guaranteed to himself.

"I just want... to say-"

"Don't exhaust yourself, Liz. You're awesome but hell, you're seriously wounded..."

She helplessly chuckled. "Right... But thank you. For the past weeks... I forgive you, Feliks. For lying... And Gil..."

Gilbert leaned closer. "Yes?"

"Ich... liebe-" Her voice was cut off and Gil was waiting in vain for her to finish the sentence. Her chest didn't move anymore.

"Ich liebe dich auch, Liz. Ich liebe dich..." He bent down his head to breathe a kiss on her cheek and his whole body was shaking. That's all Feliks could make out of him, because he didn't see anything. Tears were streaming down his face, he was sobbing. They were bitter and salty.

He collected enough strenght to stood up and turn away from his friend's body. He wiped his face to see Toris. "Shame on you. I will never forgive you."

Toris was suspicious but sarcastic. "What are you planning to do? Shoot me?"

This thought hadn't crossed Feliks's mind. Until the moment he mentioned it. It was exactly what he wanted.

"Damn right, Toris." Toris giggled, he didn't believe Feliks would do it, but his laughter was odd.

"Oh, come on! You don't have the courage to do it." His voice suggested the opposite. Toris _did_ believe that Feliks would do that judging by the state he was in.

 _Believe it, if that makes you feel better._ He picked up his gun.

"Don't I?" He ask flatly and pulled the trigger.

Toris fell to his knees then spreaded out on the floor. Feliks hit him in the chest and probably hit his heart for Toris died immediately. What a shame, he could have suffered a bit more...

"I am so sorry it had to come to this..." he whispered, not sure who he adressed. Perhaps everyone in the room. But it was for Lizzie in the first place.

"Get out of here or we'll kill you. Or worse." Said Gilbert without any emotion in his voice. He didn't look at him, his fists tightly clenched by his sides. Feliks understood it. He put his gun away and went out of the house, leaving behind the corpse of two precious people in his life. Again.

The sirens of a nearby ambulance hurt his ears. They never sounded so solemly and dolefully.

When he left the building, he stood aside where he could see what was happening . The paramedics ran upstairs, not knowing about the two dead people upstairs. A few minutes later they reappeared with the company of two familiar figure. The silver-haired one looked in his direction, but didn't do anything. He was too far to read his expression.

He got it. Gilbert wanted him to go away.

Feliks turned his back to walk away. The wind ruffled his blond hair and got under his shirt as if it tried to comfort him - or to remind him how he took the life of his love. He hastened his pace.

The ambulance rushed past the place of the slaughter, squawking.

He had never wanted to see blood ever again.

The Beilschmidt-case was closed. Forever.

 _But this isn't the very end... It can't be... For there is no rest for the wicked..._

xXXx

THE END

xXXx

 **A/N: So. That's all, I guess... I don't know if an epilogue would be approriate and what it would be about, so I won't write one...**

 **Thank you for following the last weeks of Lizzie's life (I'm so heartless, but so is Toris)! The characters actually grew close to my heart, I enjoyed writing this.**

 **My favourite character out of them was Ludwig, I don't know, he's really sympathic in fanfictions to me. That's why I didn't kill him (though I thought about it) and Lizzie's death was the only fix point in the storyline. Sorry Liz. I hope the ending wasn't very confusing or unfinished...**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this!**


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